Always and Forever
by Disneyholica24
Summary: Sofia is growing day by day, learning things, meeting friends, protecting the Ever Realm, and giving people happy endings. But what of her own happy ending? As she becomes a woman, enters magic school, and comes across dangerous situations she will be tried and pushed to her breaking points. Through it all someone is always by her side. Her valiant sorcerer. Her one true love.
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a world of magic and wonder, there lived a princess named Sofia and she was beloved by all who came to know her. Though she was small she was mighty in heart, spirit, and mind. She was chosen to take on many difficult tasks for someone so young, many responsibilities lay before her including being the owner of one of the most powerful pieces of jewelry ever crafted- The amulet of Avalor. Legend states that whoever is pure of heart, courageous, true, and kind could wield it and all its many powers. Sofia was all of that and more. She also was a story keeper, in charge of giving people happy ends to their tales and most recently she became a protector of the Ever Realm. To put it simply she was given the duty of protecting her kingdom, though she never did this alone. Sofia always had plenty of help that came from her friends.

Some of her dearest and most helpful were her siblings, Amber and James, who though not related to her had formed a strong, familial bond. She had her village friends, Ruby and Jade, whom she grew up with before she was crowned. Her witch friend Lucinda, who was now permanently fighting for the side of good witchcraft instead of hexing. There were many animal friends, Clover, her rabbit, Mia and Robin her birds, and Minimus, her flying horse. The list went on and on but one of Sofia's best friends, one who she had met her very first day in the castle, was the royal sorcerer Cedric the Sensational. Of course back when she met him, he didn't have a proper nickname but now took to calling himself the one she gave him.

Their friendship had been tried and tested many times before, given his once wicked ways, but in the end he turned out to be just misunderstood and it took Sofia's bravery, open heart, and patient gentleness to bring out the true greatness in him. Now he was the kingdoms finest sorcerer, able to conjure with ease and flair. After defeating the greatest evil she had ever faced, Queen Vor, Sofia was free to continue what she was best at; helping others. At twelve and a half years old she was a bit busy bodied but she managed her time well, bringing her light with her to everywhere she went, making new friends, and going on grand adventures that she often wrote about in her diary. She liked to talk about them with her family over dinner, often waving around her hands excitedly when discussing a certain part.

Her parents were worried about her but if there was anyone who could handle this it was Sofia. Plus, she was always protected by the many people who she came to trust. Her birthday was coming up and she was enthralled because it was the day she would become a big girl, as her mother said. It was still a ways away but she couldn't wait for it! She'd been kind of jealous when Amber became Lady Amber instead of just Princess Amber but she was happy for her and she grew to be a lovely looking lady with dignity and grace. Much less snooty than she used to be and much more mild-mannered. Still she had flashes of her old self and loved her material things. James was Sir James, because he was a knight in training, but basically, he was already a knight in her father's book. The two twins were already fourteen years old and the changes were obvious.

Sofia felt left out somehow when Amber would fuss about her bra with other more mature friends like Hildegard and Clio, or when they talked about that time of the month whatever that meant. Sofia was never told anything and she started to feel like she was a foolish little girl who understood nothing. With Amber too occupied on her future queenly affairs, talking about boys, and stuffing her front with tissues to look more attractive, Sofia felt a bit lonesome in her castle. Of course not for too long, there was always one person who could cheer her up and today she decided to visit him. Lifting up her dress to run a bit faster she went on her merry way up the still dimly lit stairway to the front door that led to one of the most magical places she could ever think of being in. She dusted herself off, trying to look presentable, moved her hair back behind her, and pushed her bangs out of her face. Sofia lifted her hand and knocked gently three times. The door opened all on its own, revealing her favorite sorcerer in his chair with his back turned toward her, nose deep in one of his spell books.

"I don't know why you bother knocking, you have a key."

"I know," Sofia answered slightly sheepishly, standing next to the open door. "But I have to remember my royal manners and always knock first."

"Well do come in already, you're letting out all the cool air."

"Oh...right!" Sofia closed the door with a small smile on her face. She stepped closer to him with light footfalls, a trait she had gained from her fairy protector and mentor. It made sneaking up on people when playing certain games easier. She watched from over his shoulder, her hands behind her back. His spell looked interesting to her, of course he could be learning about wart removal and she would be fascinated. Just watching him work made her happy. Cedric cocked an eyebrow at her but kept a friendly smile. He had become a lot more complacent with her and her presence no longer bothered him, not that it truly did anyhow he only liked to pretend she was getting on his nerves. She smiled back at him, their eyes locked on one another's which made her look away somewhat bashfully towards his bangs. She always loved the contrast in his hair between the black and white. Sometimes she wanted to touch his bangs out of curiosity.

"Must you linger around me so? If you are so interested bring the chair over here, don't just stand there. You make me anxious, you know."

"Sorry!" Sofia apologized, biting her lip nervously as she went to go fetch the chair he had crafted just for her. It was like his own only in her favorite shade of purple. "What is it you are trying to do?" She could very well read but she liked hearing him explain.

"Well, if you must know, it's called the Midas spell, it can turn any object into solid gold."

"Oh wow that sounds spectacular! I have full faith that you can do it, Mr. Cedric, because you are the very best at magic."

He smiled a kind smile at her. The girl flattered him, she really did. She had been the first to recognize how wonderful his magic could be if anyone just gave him a chance and she had and remains to be his truest friend. Even now when he received praise from random strangers who have heard of him it was nothing compared to her, who knew him at his worst and still thought he was the best. She twirled side to side slowly in the chair with her hands folded in her lap, giggling at nothing it seemed.

"Hmm... you know Sofia most girls your age would be shopping for shiny things and doing makeup. Not hanging out with an old wizard in a dusty tower."

"I'm different than most girls," Sofia replied with a wink. "And you aren't old at all."

"Now that's a lie if I've ever heard one."

"You've never seemed old to me. When we first met, I thought you were in your mid-twenties."

"Oh how I wish!"

Sofia giggled yet again and scooted closer to him, peeping into the book. "Ooh this does look complicated. Do you need any assistance from your favorite apprentice?"

"Who said you were my favorite?" Cedric teased in that way that always made her want to tease him back. They had become familiar enough with each other to act this way, though in front of her family he would act a lot more proper and stiff, call her by her titles and bow often. She liked him much better this way, a bit sassy and saucy sometimes, cynical and snarky other times, but that was her Cedric. Sofia nudged him playfully.

"You don't have any others, do you?"

"Well Callista has been asking but I think I'm good with the one I have."

"Great! I'll change and we can get started!"

He always did like her enthusiasm and can do attitude, it, amongst other things, got him through tough times in his life. That afternoon she spent most of her day dressed in her apprentice attire, assisting him with his spells and when not doing that organizing and cleaning. She hummed a cheerful tune as she worked, not afraid to get dirty even in a ballgown. The sun was starting to set and Sofia gazed out at it from the tower window with a soft sigh. It was so beautiful, it colored everything orange and pink and gold. The light breeze made her bangs fall onto her eye and she tried to blow it upwards.

"You should really head down for dinner, Sofia. I'm sure you don't want to be late for that."

"Oh...you'll be okay up here?"

"You always ask me that. Of course I'll be okay. Why ever wouldn't I be?"

"It's just... I know how much you used to talk to Wormwood and now he's not here...I just think you might be lonely...if you are then I can have dinner with you. I'm sure mom and dad wouldn't mind."

He was touched by her sensitive, compassionate nature and it made him feel warm inside, which was something he had become accustomed to around her. "Oh no it's fine. I wouldn't want to steal you away from your family. I'll be alright, I promise. Go on, then."

"Well...if you are sure. Then I suppose...have a good night Mr. Cedric," Sofia cheerfully stated, hugging him tightly around the neck instead of the midsection as she had so commonly done when smaller.

She was getting taller these days, tall enough to reach things in his workshop without the small foot stool he had in there just for her. She was still too young to be using the tall ladder, even he wobbled on it a few more times than he'd care to admit. He was dealing with the same issue with Callista, the only other child he was acquainted with and was fond of. She was getting bigger too and her mother joked about her having an in school boyfriend. It was really just a friend who was a boy but Cedric was not happy with hearing it. He wanted to protect her from growing up, he wanted to stop her at the age she was at now before she slipped away and didn't care anymore for her "Uncle Ceddy". It was worse with Sofia.

He was afraid once she got older, perhaps even as soon as her birthday, she'd be just like Amber, too involved in trying to go on dates and paint her nails or whatever it is girls did. It seemed just a day ago she was that eight year old girl who was clumsy at curtsies and her waves were not proper at all, just the rambunctious wave of a commoner. Even at the age she was now he was seeing her less and less. She was never completely out of sight, at least when on the premises. He could often hear her outside the grounds playing with the animals or talking with her companions. Occasionally if he was feeling nosy and looked out the window, it was like she knew he would and would be looking his way, waving at him. He'd give her a short wave then crawl back into his lair, pretending like he wasn't snooping.

His tower had been so abysmal before her sunshine broke through it and to be without it, it might be difficult. She'd still be there, though, and he could make up excuses to see her. Hopefully she'd still want to see him. Magic is something dazzling for a child and a magician might even seem cool but as one gets older, they tend to yawn at the performance, calling them cheap tricks. He could never imagine Sofia being that way at all, she seemed to have a true love for magic. Cedric hugged her back, though not nearly as tight or warm as she did to him. It had taken him a while to learn to hug back, he wasn't used to much affection except from his mother. He let himself enjoy these hugs now, they might become rare later on. Just like that she was out of his arms and he was alone again. Inevitably after his own dinner he stayed up till very late trying to get the spell right until finally retiring to bed.

His bedroom was his private oasis that housed his own personal small library, a coffee table with high backed chairs, a mirror, a wardrobe, and his bed. Nothing too fancy but it was cozy. There were things he loved in this room, the little decorations given to him throughout the years by the favored little royal of the kingdom. His wand case sat there awaiting what it was intended to hold, his scroll pinned to the wall along with the autographed picture of Merlin, a trophy that he had won at the Annual Conjuring Contest, and a few other things. He even kept one of the rubies she had made because he couldn't use all of them to make the crown anyways. She still wore that crown nearly every day unless it was a seasonal or special occasion.

The pinkish-red gems always stood atop her head reminding him of their relationship both how it started and where they had fought their greatest match. He still remembered that day, how his heart ached thinking about Sofia being trapped. He had summoned all his energy to get her out, nearly drained himself in the process. When everyone dispersed from the party, she took him aside to talk with him. She clasped his hands in hers tightly, running her fingers over his woven gloves in a worried way. Her brow was furrowed and her lips pursed. Something had upset her.

"What's wrong, my dear? You seemed so happy just a few minutes ago."

"I was happy...I still am happy...I just... you did so much for me today and I never got to properly thank you. Not just today but every day of my life. You've rescued me more times than I can count and despite one or two things that I have already forgiven, you have been nothing but the best friend I could ask for. I wanted to just say thanks, from the bottom of my heart. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Oh Sofia..." Cedric nearly cried from the weakness she brought to him. She was always good at making him weak in the best, strongest way. She turned a cold calculating villain into a warm welcoming hero. "I feel exactly the same. I don't know where I'd be without you, either. I am so thankful for you and your smile. You gave me life, it only makes sense I protect yours."

Sofia had picked up a habit of biting her lip or pressing them together, it was a habit that he found adorable because she did it when in a shy sort of mood or when she was given a lot of compliments. She also did it right before asking for something too, unlike Amber who just rolled out the mile long list of gifts she wanted from her father that day. As always, the twins were spoiled more so than Sofia which was her own doing, Sofia was humble by nature and asked for so little. Her cheeks dotted with a little blush though it was hard to tell, they were always a little red. She was born with rose bushes on her cheeks and a little petal of rose color on her nose but with a light tan, very much the complexion of a little girl who spent all her days playing outdoors.

"Mr. Cedric I..."

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the voice of her mother calling her name then her appearing in the doorway.

"Oh there you are! I guess I should have expected that when Cedric went missing the same time as you, that you'd be together."

"I was saying thank you for today. He had worked so hard to save me."

Queen Miranda pulled her daughter closer, stroking over her hair in a motherly, caring fashion trying to brush back her ever growing hair, specifically her bangs. Sofia, unlike most children, was never embarrassed by affection. Amber eventually became irritated by it whenever her father would call her sweetie or pumpkin in front of her friends and never mind James who would flush scarlet if his mother kissed his cheek in front of the boys. Sofia was very affectionate and enjoyed the love she was given by anyone.

"She's absolutely right, you know. You saved my daughter's life today and for that you will always be welcomed as part of the family. You have my respect and admiration. Thank you, Cedric."

"It was no trouble at all, your highness," He flourished his reply with a low bow before his queen and princess.

"I may be the protector of the Ever Realm, but you will always be my protector, Mr. Cedric."

As he went into bed today, dressed in his long night gown and cap, he thought about what Sofia had said. It wasn't wrong, he was always there to defend his princess and though he never showed her or told her, he had a nasty scar from his chest to shoulder from being hit by the lightning produced by Grimhilde's crown. It actually looked like a faded dark bolt across his skin and he was glad that Sofia would never know of it. It had stung like the dickens, so much so that he had to bite back the pain until Sofia was home safe and sound. The king noticed Cedric's robes were stained in that area, lightly blackened but also dark for another reason.

He told him not to worry, he had many different potions and salves for this sort of thing, he was just glad it wasn't the princess. The color of Roland's face imagining what might have happened if Cedric wasn't there, especially given one of the strikes nearly missed her face, was white. It was beyond her being marked, Sofia wasn't vain enough to care, but it was that she could have easily well... Cedric didn't like thinking of it either. A world without Sofia was not a world he wanted to ever live in.

He blew out the candle at his bedside, his room illuminated by the moonlight and stars, the second one to the right being the brightest. As he did every night, he whispered goodnight to her though she wasn't there, thinking somehow him saying that would ensure pleasant dreams. He didn't know that Sofia did the same thing except she did it for everyone. Mornings came, afternoons passed, night time shifted to the next day after until it was that Sofia's birthday was in two weeks, two very long weeks according to her. Day by day she seemed to grow just a little bit more, now almost as tall as her sister and her older friends. Speaking of her sister that's who she was with right now, with a million outfit choices splayed all over everywhere in her bedroom. Clover had complained about getting dresses tossed on him and shoes thrown across the room, whizzing past his ear. After the last one he just went to the balcony with the birds and Whatnaught, where he would be safe.

"Amber I think a lot of these are just fine. I really like this one," Sofia protested holding up a puffy sleeved ballroom gown with bows and white trim in her favorite color.

"Oh no no no! It won't do. No offense but that's much too young for you now. You need something a bit more...mature."

"Mature?"

"Yes! This is a big day for you. I remember when I had my thirteenth birthday, my first teen year! I was finally seen as a young woman, no longer a child and everyone took me more seriously. The party was fabulous with thirteen candles on my own personal sized cake that I got all for me."

"I know, Amber, I was there," Sofia responded, sitting in a sea of dresses.

"Then you should remember my gown was the finest in the land that showed off my figure. It was the loveliest mermaid dress I have ever seen but you are my sister and you should have one maybe even better than mine...but only by a smidge. It's gotta be bigger, bolder, shinier and you must wear heels! No more low flat shoes for you."

"But it's a lot easier to walk-"

There was no getting through to her she was dead set on being the party planner, going through every detail meticulously even if it wasn't for herself. It wasn't just her, everyone in the castle was bustling about with a multitude of questions and suggestions. Never mind those who had attended Royal Prep with her. Each princess had their own idea, Ruby and Jade both got into a minor argument on whether Sofia should wear red or green, and Lucinda insisted she have cauldron cakes at the party even though Sofia had no clue what they were or if they were even good. No one was listening to her, despite Amber stating that once you were older that's what everyone did.

Exhausted from the efforts and spinning with information, Sofia just plopped down on a small furnished sofa in a place where she thought no one would come and ask her for the millionth time if she wanted flowers or balloons to decorate everything. She had told them both but they still kept asking! Then they wanted to know what kinds, what shapes, what colors. It was a lot to take in. She laid there, staring up at the ceiling trying to find shapes in the filigree when she was joined by a lanky body to the side of her. She recognized that tail coat anywhere and the way he cleared his throat as he took out his pocket watch.

"Sofia, what on earth are you doing?"

"Baileywick!" Sofia exclaimed, somewhat flustered from everyone popping up on her out of nowhere. "I'm just... taking a break."

"Long day for you, huh?"

"Yeah..." Sofia mused, hand under her chin. "I just wish people would listen to me and let me decide and that they would take it slow. Everyone keeps rushing around acting like crazy people and then they tell me that everything is going to change. That...I'm going to change. I've been waiting for this change but nothing has happened. My weight is the same, I don't feel any older, and people seem to listen to me less. I also haven't filled out, Amber and her friends all told me so. They called me a late bloomer. What does that mean?"

"Sofia, I can tell you from experience that growing up is different for everyone. Take me and my brother, for example. He started getting taller than me while I stayed short even as we grew up. It was only in my late teenage years did I finally catch up but all my life he made fun of me for being smaller than him. I was also called a late bloomer but it's nothing to be ashamed about, it just means you haven't developed as fast as everyone else but that doesn't make you abnormal. Think about certain types of flowers, they all need different care. You wouldn't expect an apple blossom to appear in the winter like an ice lily, nor would you treat them the same. All things need their own time to bloom."

Sofia thought about this, reminded of Prince Desmond and Princess Vivian, who coincidentally were each other's secret crushes with each too shy to admit anything. They both were different than most and both really liked plants, Desmond liked more herbs and roots while Vivian was more of the flower and berry type. She thought of the day they were all given their own mystery plants that reacted differently to each person with Vivian's popping out fruit when it was around music. Desmond had been frustrated because he was trying everyone else's method but when he tried something applicable only to him, the plant flourished. Sofia's body was the same way. She just had to wait and try not to force herself to take shape. She gave Baileywick a quick hug, thanking him. He was always there to inspire her and give her words of wisdom and despite getting on in his years he was always dutiful. With her new found self-confidence she strolled back into her bedroom where Amber was hanging back up her clothes, thankfully, but murmuring while shaking her head in a disappointed way.

"Sofia where did you go?"

"Just went to get some fresh air. I felt a little hot."

"It is rather warm. Maybe a sleeveless dress or an off the shoulder would be best... not that you have any. All your dresses are nice but just not...as James would say, brilliant."

Sofia chuckled at the impression. "Amber, it's my own birthday, though. Shouldn't I decide?"

"Yeees... but oh please I've just been so excited to design you something fabulous. Something that will make all the princesses admire you for years and all the prince's jaws drop. I want you to glow like the stars that I've discovered."

"That's kind of you Amber. You know...maybe we can come up with something together."

Amber beamed and joined her sister at the desk, both drawing up different ideas. They finally came up with one that incorporated Amber's glitzy, glamorous look with Sofia's feminine and modest touch. Amber still insisted on heels and produced a box for her, saying it was an early birthday gift. When Sofia opened the box, she gaped at the luxurious foot wear. They were too pretty to wear, almost like Cinderella's glass slippers. Much too fine for her but she would not refuse a gift. She thanked Amber as she tried them on. It was a taller heel than she was used to but she'd have some time to practice until her party.

A couple days later she was on the swing outside barefooted, giving her poor feet a break because between dance lessons, quests, heeled shoe training, climbing, and walking all over everywhere they needed some time to breathe and so did she. The grass felt nice between her toes and even tickled. A little ways off she could see the swans gliding about the pond with the high cat tails swaying in the breeze. There were also some wish making flowers as she had always called them, knowing very well they were just a species of dandelion. Many different lessons with her sorcery master had taught her all about the different plants and their properties. Clover ate dandelions sometimes, as well as the plant he was named for, and Sofia had tried them because they were edible.

Dandelions were good for the digestion and liver, the books told her that and she could even make it into a tea. Sofia jumped off the swing, leaving her flats behind, and walked towards the swans to say hello, giving them some grapes as a snack that she had packed for herself but she wasn't hungry anymore. She bid her good evenings, then fed them, asking them little things here and there and telling them about her birthday. The swans nodded and chatted back with her, having talked with the geese recently and told her of the weather. Birds were always good for knowing what kind of weather there was. Turns out her birthday would fall on a warm but breezy day, just perfect. That was good news to hear for her because she was nervous it might rain. She didn't mind the rain herself, she liked to dance in it, splash in puddles when she was a bit younger, loved to taste it and loved the smell. However not everyone was as enthusiastic and everything would get soaked if not soggy.

Sofia noticed some more plants around and got an idea, starting to pluck them and gather them into her skirt. There were dayglows, nightshades, candelas, wax warts, and something special- angelicas. She knew a certain someone who could really use a restock of these. Ecstatic about finding some common ordinary weeds to most people, she rushed but still not too fast, to the tower of her wizard. Her hands were a little full but she found enough room to knock. The door opened this time not magically but by a magic person nonetheless. Sofia rushed a little past him, dumping the contents of her skirt onto his table as delicately as possible. Cedric was amused but also bemused by her. She was a bit out of breath but her smile persisted. Sofia pushed her annoyingly long bangs out of her face.

"Look what I've brought you, Mr. Cedric."

Curious he went over to see what gifts she bestowed upon him and let out a small gasp of delight. "My goodness you never fail to surprise me in the best way. Thank you, Sofia. I really needed these."

"I know, I checked your stores and remembered what you were running low on. I couldn't find any blazing blossoms."

"That's fine, dearie. They are all around volcanoes and the palisades. Very difficult to get without proper gloves on. You've done well but you didn't need to."

"It's my job and I like doing things for you. Besides I really wanted to get away from everyone else right now," Sofia admitted, plucking one of the dandelions that were there and putting it before him, making want to sneeze. "Do you know why people make wishes on these?"

"Well I've heard people say the seeds make their way up to heaven or something like that."

"Do you believe that?" Sofia questioned with a tilt of her head though that made her bangs fall onto her face. She huffed but not in an angry way more like a what are you gunna do, kind of way. Cedric leaned forward and tucked her bangs behind her ear, smiling at her.

"You really ought to get those trimmed, love. Not good for an adventurer, such as yourself, to have her hair always in the way."

"I know but everyone says I should grow it out, that I might like it better that way. Plus, I guess I'd look like mom."

"You are your own person, Sofia and personally, I prefer short hair myself, especially on you," He replied, tapping once on the tip of her nose. She giggled girlishly and twitched her nose, much like her rabbit. She truly was too cute for words, at least to him. Something about her was so sparkly with innocence that it radiated off of her wherever she went. It was another reason he was scared of her growing up, she might lose that as she learned about the world more, she might become too concerned with things that didn't matter and forget about herself...and him.

"Okay then. It really is starting to bother me especially when I'm flying."

"I think we should pin it back for now. Lucky for you, your sorcerer is always prepared for any situation. Viola."

Cedric produced a small brown bobby pin as if he was expecting her to ask for one at any point today. He easily put up her bangs away from her face with a fanciful hand movement. Everything with him had to be magical in some way. Sofia touched the metal clip with a smile.

"Thank you! That's very helpful."

"Call it a repayment for all the herbs today, sweetheart."

Sofia blushed a little though he didn't know why then curtsied to him, saying she should wash up because there was a lot still to do. Indeed there was. She waved goodbye to him then left in a hurry. Cedric jarred all the herbs with a look of fondness at each one. It was very considerate of her to do this and possibly go out of her way for his sake. A bobby pin was really nothing in comparison but the gift he'd give her for her birthday would make up for that. He certainly hoped she would like it but she would honestly take a piece of lint from him as the greatest thing in the known universe, that's just how much she adored him.

A week went by and the preparations were under way, just seven more days until her big day! She had already sent out a lot of invitations all across the lands. She invited all the royals she knew, fairies, elves, wee sprites, gnomes, trolls, harpies, magic users abound, villagers, her teachers. Just whoever she knew. The only people she could not invite were giants and the merpeople, though they would send their regards as well as their gifts. The sea was stirring a lot lately and Oona needed to prepare for her own rise into responsibility. She promised that whenever Sofia came to visit, she'd get Fluke and put on a great show for her with cool water effects. Sofia couldn't wait to see it. For now she was holding out some lettuce for clover to nibble on while she thought to herself.

"I bet there's gunna be a lotta food at this party."

"I'll bring you some left overs," Sofia remarked, chewing on a celery stalk filled with peanut butter and covered in raisins. "Just no cake, you got a bad tummy ache last time."

"I know but it's soooo delicious! Maybe it won't be so bad if I have just a tiny sliver?"

"Oh clover." She shook her head at him. "For your own birthday I'll make you a three layered carrot cake. How about that?"

"Mmm...! Can it be my birthday tomorrow? Let's just say it's an early celebration."

Sofia laughed at him. His birthday had already past, sometime in the spring. It was fall now. She pet the sleeping squirrel in her lap while Mia sat on one shoulder and Robin on the other. They were all enjoying a little snack before Sofia had to go on a mission for the protectors. Nothing major, just rowdy hobgoblins pulling pranks that got out of hand. Sofia knew how to handle that just fine.

"You know you should really tell Cedric to be more careful. He almost stepped on one of my mice friends the other day while he was pacing around in the hallway."

"Well mice are small, Clover. I'll go apologize to it but...Mr. Cedric pacing? Was he saying anything?"

"I wasn't paying attention but he looked worried," Clover replied with a full mouth. "Probably messed up another spell or something."

Sofia doubted it. If that was the case he'd just be brooding where no one could see him and the mouse hole was close to her room since that was the safest place for the animals to be. If he was pacing there, he must have been upset about something and it might have to do with her. Maybe he had to tell her something but it wasn't something good. She hoped everything was okay. Then she remembered his parents were coming to her party. Maybe he was anxious and wanted to confide in her. When she could she would comfort him, he still got a little jumbled up and awkward around his father and his mother liked to pinch his cheeks and do weird things to his hair to make him look presentable.

For now it would have to wait. She finished her snack and put on her protector clothes, noting that they fit just a bit tighter. Perhaps she was finally growing! Sofia checked herself out in the mirror. Since the clothes were already tight on her, more in the leg area, it was already shape defining. Now she could see something, small anthill sized lumps on her chest. Sofia blinked at them. They weren't there yesterday. She wanted to tell her mom and ask her all about it but she had a duty to do first. Her body change could wait. Today she rode on Minimus but Skye joined anyways. The two had become great friends, forgetting about competing for Sofia's affections. She loved both equally, but she would always have a special place in her heart for the diminutive horse. She pat him on his side.

Taking care of the hobgoblins was easy enough and with that settled she would go home but first she would report to her other protectors on her enchantlet. As soon as the little portal opened to talk to them Sofia began to feel... funny. Not a good funny either. She felt weirdly uncomfortable and her stomach was starting to twist. She held it tightly as the pain got bigger, letting out a pained noise. She had no idea what was wrong with her and hoped that nobody put a curse on her or anything. That's the last thing she needed. Something else was wrong, she was bleeding too. Sofia grew pale at the sight and woozy, passing out right there on the ground.

Minimus and Skye came galloping fast to her aid but they didn't have thumbs so it would be difficult to lift her up. Luckily the portal was still open and Chrysta came flying faster than you could say pixie dust. She seemed to understand what was going on and fluttered fast with the two flying horses behind her trying to keep up with her speed. When Chrysta landed in Enchancia she sought out the woman she knew was Sofia's mother or some woman who would be able to take care of her. Luck was on their side because Queen Miranda was at the gazebo with Roland and heard the wings and rapid landing. When they both turned, they frantically went to Sofia, Roland expecting the worst given how dangerous her duties were.

"I knew I shouldn't have let her go!"

"Rolly...it's fine she's just...well...she's that age," Miranda explained, picking up her daughter. She didn't care about their mutually stained clothing all she cared about was getting some nurses and some help for Sofia. She really should have told her sooner about all this or Amber should have but royal duties leave one with so little time. When all was said and done Sofia was not feeling any better but at least now she was clothed in fresh easy to breathe in clothing with her new lady supplies in her hands. Her mother went through the process with her with Sofia listening intently, nodding. Slowly she trudged to her room, just wanting to kind of rest after everything she went through today and the uncomfortable aspect of the whole thing. Her stomach still was in knots causing her to let out pained groans into her pillow with her plush doll squashed against her budding chest. So far being a big girl didn't seem so fun anymore. Sofia was awoken from her light nap by a knocking at her door.

"Come in," she murmured, still in pain, almost wanting to cry. To her surprise her visitor was Cedric with a small cup and a glass vial. He closed the door with the back of his foot and made his way over toward her.

"I'm so glad you're here. What did you bring me?"

"Something to help with the pain."

"Did my mother send for you?"

He nodded as he poured the vial into the cup and gave it to her. She propped herself up some and sipped it. It tasted no different than chocolate milk only richer and creamier. She drank more and when she put the cup down Cedric had to stifle a laugh because she had a little milk mustache. She seemed to notice and licked it off.

"Thank you. I'm starting to feel better."

"That's good. I best go then."

"Please stay a little longer. Besides I wanted to talk to you."

He sat back down just on the edge of the bed. "What is it? Do you want to know what sort of herb I used?"

"No... well yes but no. You were outside the hallway the other day pacing. Why? What's troubling you?"

"Here you are laying in pain and you are still concerned with little old me," Cedric mused halfway to himself, patting her leg. "Sometimes I think you're too good for this world."

She humbly smiled then poked his side with her small foot. "You didn't answer my question, Mr. Ceedric."

He raised his eyebrows to her saying his name wrong again but she used it every now and then on purpose just to get a reaction. "Cheeky girl..."

"Sorry I couldn't help it," She honestly explained, sucking in her lower lip and trying not to laugh. "But please tell me."

He sighed a little. "You aren't going to like it... but yes something is bothering me. You haven't chosen a school yet, have you?"

"No but I'm leaning towards magic school. Is it possible to be a royal adviser and do sorcery?"

"Yes and lord knows you'd be smashing at both. My point is you are a very coveted prize for a lot of these schools. You can imagine they've all heard of the famous Sofia of Enchancia and all of them want you. Letters have been coming in for you but I suppose everyone's been too busy to really tell you. Regardless you have to pick one...and once you do, you'll be sent off and you won't be seeing me for a while."

Sofia knew that well enough. The only reason she saw Amber and James is because their schools were close not only in proximity but in study but if she chose to study at the new Magical Academy, or Mag, it would be kind of far. She couldn't well go to Hexley Hall, even though that was much farther, simply because she wasn't a magician by blood even if Cedric wrote her a letter of recommendation. It was only for witches, wizards, and sorcerers of which she was not, though he liked to argue that one's blood line shouldn't define them. At least if she was able to go there, she'd be able to hang out with Lucinda, Lily, and Indigo but if she went elsewhere, she might not know anyone there. It would be a lonely experience. She could just go to the same school Amber was going to but Sofia felt she didn't need a class to know how to advise someone. She did that just fine without a degree or fancy diploma.

Magic was what she loved even before she came here. She would pick up sticks and pretend to cast spells that she had overheard or ones she made up. She had to follow her heart, as she always did, as Merida and the other princesses told her to do. Trouble was her heart was torn between her love for magic and her love for everyone here. They'd understand, encourage her, but they would miss her and she them... the main one who would miss her most would be Cedric but he'd also be her biggest supporter. Sofia opened a small drawer on her nightstand and took out a pamphlet she had been glossing over and handed it to him.

"That's the one I want to go to. It took me a while to decide."

"Then you must go with that. It isn't so long Sofia and I'm sure you will get holiday breaks so it won't be like forever."

"It will feel like forever..." Sofia sighed, curling herself up. "Things used to be so simple."

"Growing up has its pros and cons. Sofia go to the school, learn magic, make me proud because I know you will do greater things than even the best sorceresses I've met."

Sofia wiped off her eye with a smile. "If I go will you write to me and will you take care of my animals? I think they only allow one pet but Clover should stay here where he was born and raised."

"I'll do what I can, not that I'm fond of the furball."

"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia laughingly cried with a fake appalled face.

"Kidding, kidding. I shall miss you though... more than I can say..."

Sofia pat his hand. This was a difficult decision for both of them but ultimately it was for the best. It was three years, maybe less if she did advanced studies well enough. She might make friends and she might have a dorm mate like Amber and James did. Amber's dorm mate was Princess Leena and James had Prince Derek. Sofia had heard of Princess Jun and her brother thinking of going to the magic school so maybe she'd meet them. She hoped so because everyone else was going to or was already at other schools. It wasn't a very Sofia attitude to be down about learning something new and going to new places but leaving everyone was going to be difficult. She couldn't let herself become upset over it. Instead she tried to look forward to her birthday and after that she would apply. Most likely they would accept pretty fast and she'd be on her way to bigger and better things. She'd have to let the protectors know that she'd be too busy and that to only call her for serious big emergencies. As far as story keeping, she'd have no choice but to put that on hold too. She couldn't possibly be expected to be in several places at once.

"Don't worry about a thing! I'm going to go and make the best of my time there and when I graduate, I'll show off my skills to you. We can have a wizard duel," Sofia proclaimed, brandishing the purple wand that was once Cedric's but now was hers.

It still had his initials carved into the base but she never did ask what his last name was. She was looking at the little letters now wondering it but also imagining little Cedric in Hexley Hall learning from the greats. He was probably just as lonely as she was going to be, if not more so because of his undeserved reputation. Her poor wizard, he must have had such a tough time. She felt he needed a hug so she gave him one. He pat her head and they stayed that way for a bit until she fell asleep and he went into his quarters. He stayed there looking at her a bit longer before she left him. She wouldn't be under his or anyone else's watchful eye, she'd be making way on her own in the world and meeting all kinds of people. His heart sank a little imagining she might befriend another sorcerer or magician of some sort.

He didn't mind really if she did but it was someone replacing himself that he was worried about. He shook off his concern. The girl had met Merlin and not followed him everywhere like a puppy. No, she only did that with him and where once it might have annoyed him, now he wouldn't want it any other way. He was her sorcerer, she was his princess. Now and forever. At last the day had come for Sofia's birthday and the castle was running at one million percent to get everything just right for her. Sofia was busy getting help with her new dress. Violet was tying the corset but not too tight because Sofia wanted to breathe. She had never worn anything like this and saw no reason to because she was already skinny but Amber claimed it would help give her an "hourglass" shape.

"You see Sofia, women come in all shapes but everyone wants to be an hourglass or figure eight."

"I don't understand what this has to do with anything."

"You have to look your best, you know. Don't worry, I'll take care of you. Don't I always take care of you, Sofia?"

"Yes I guess so... but I'd rather not be suffocating. I feel like I can't move."

"Beauty is pain."

Sofia didn't agree with that at all. Beauty was natural and Sofia thought she was pretty all on her own. Still, she wasn't up to date on current trends and fashion, didn't know anything about color coordination, and never or rarely wore makeup. So when Amber sat her down and applied lipstick with what looked like a small paintbrush Sofia felt a little strange. She chose a rosy pink. Sofia stood up, prepared at last after what felt like hours of sitting to the point where she was going numb, and stared at herself in the full length mirror. Who was that looking back at her? It both looked like her and didn't. Was she supposed to change THIS much? Under the mascara and eye lid color were two blue eyes that reminded her she was still Sofia. Around her wrist and around her neck the only two pieces of jewelry she ever needed but her ears now held pearls.

"There now. You look like a beautiful young woman ready for her big debut, doesn't she ladies?"

Suzette and Violet both agreed she did but even they thought something was off. Sofia stumbled a bit in her new heels. She liked them and all but they were pieces of art to her not to be worn but to be cherished. Amber helped her along, gushing at her saying how envious she was going to be that she would steal all the attention. Sofia didn't get it, it was her birthday. Wasn't everyone going to give her all their attention anyways? She didn't think she could make it down the stairs in these shoes but going barefoot seemed silly.

"I really wish you had changed your tiara. You wear it every day!"

"It's my favorite one."

"Well it's just not special enough for this outfit, for this whole day."

"Amber this crown was made by Mr. Cedric for graduation. It's very special."

Amber shrugged. "If you say so. Well I'm going to join the others and wait for your big reveal. I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they get a good look at you."

Sofia wasn't even sure they would know it was her at all. When the hour struck, she went through the big double doors, reminded of the time when she first got to the castle and just like that the trumpets signaled her arrival. She could see everyone; all her friends and family were here for her. Sofia took a deep breath and summoned all her strength to walk down these steps. She was so concentrated in her task she scarcely saw or cared to acknowledge the young princes staring wide eyed at her. They weren't the only ones. Cedric and Baileywick shared the same look. This wasn't their innocent sweet young girl, this just wasn't Sofia at all.

"My word..." Baileywick spoke, pushing up his glasses as he saw her with her tight bodice giving her false curves and her dramatic neckline showing off her collar bone.

"You can say that again."

Sofia now noticed all eyes on her and the strange looks she was being given. All she could do was curtsy and make her way over to everyone as slowly as possible as not to trip. She couldn't even dance because if she did, she might fall. Amber was hiding her contented smile behind a fan, whispering to her friends but mostly to any prince nearby about something or other. Sofia had to take a break and slowly escaped her own party to take off the shoes with a heavy sigh. Her feet were getting blisters from the things and she barely walked or did anything in them. She heard the announcement that it was time to eat and that meant sitting. Good at least she didn't have to move. For dinner they had all her favorite foods and best of all everyone was sitting there with her at the long table. Then the cake came, her favorite flavors and she blew out the candles. What she wished for she never told a soul for fear if she did it would not come true. Now it was time for gifts.

Sofia enjoyed every single thing and given how many people she had invited she'd need a cart just to carry half of the things. The only person who hadn't gifted her was Cedric. She didn't mind, really. She knew he wasn't well off and he probably assumed she already had so much what more could he give her? It was fine just to have the company of friends. It took a long time for everyone to disperse and go home, the last person to leave was Princess Zooey who seemed to linger with James on their goodbyes. He gallantly kissed her hand before helping her on her coach, which is not something he did with anyone else. Sofia put a finger to her lips with a knowing smile.

She could always tell when someone really liked someone else, like when she was still in Dunwiddie she just knew her mother had feelings for the king. Even though she might deny it Amber was still head over heels for Prince Hugo, though she fancied his older brother too. Her party had been bigger than big, grander than grand, and more amazing than she could hope for but honestly, she couldn't wait to get out of the dress and into something comfortable and the shoes needed to never ever be worn ever again. She kissed her sister, mother, and father goodnight on the cheek and hugged her brother before scampering off to bed quick as her heeled shoes could take her.

Once she was out of sight, she kicked them off and held them in her hand, walking barefooted down the hallway. She also started to grab and pull at the corset strings in an undignified manner but she really had to let lose some air that wasn't constrained. What was Amber thinking, she wondered, putting her in a dress like this? It was too low cut for her own taste and too sparkly. Sofia did like a little dazzle here and there but this was too much. Her tongue was sticking out of her lips as she struggled with the strings, not wanting to bother any of the staff this late in the night. It couldn't be that hard could it? Sofia placed the shoes down gingerly upon the ground and tried looking in the hallway mirror to untie herself.

"You look like you could use some help," A familiar accented voice remarked causing Sofia to jump with a surprised yelp. Cedric chuckled just a bit darkly, reminiscent of his old days. "Didn't mean to startle you, princess."

"It's okay. Yeah, I can't get this off and it's killing me. Do you have an untying spell or something?"

"That I do. Now hold still."

Sofia did just that, arms firmly at her side but with an excited gleam in her eye. Even if she couldn't see it his powers were always truly spectacular.

"Laxo Stringo!"

The spell hit the corset and perfectly unlaced it making it fall to the ground. Sofia took in a huge breath of relief. Sofia eyed herself and imagined how shocked Amber or anyone really might be to see her like this, no shoes on, corset on the ground, and her hairstyle was undone. She might have even been ashamed around them but around Cedric? No not at all and he didn't say anything about it. It was much easier to be around those not of noble birth for the village born girl and though most had come to accept her quirks she was still expected to act prim and proper in front of all the dukes and empresses. Around the commoners she could act without worry, as long as nobody was looking. Sofia was surprised she had to teach the princesses how to play hopscotch and jump rope, they had been so simple to her.

"Phew! You don't know how hard it was to enjoy myself today between the high shoes and the tightness around my waist."

"I could tell. You weren't your usual bubbly self today."

"I hope I didn't disappoint anyone... I had fun but I was in pain. How do the other girls do it?"

"Haven't the foggiest. Never did understand women myself but my mother was never like that. Cordelia, however, she just haaad to be the most fashionable wand waver in the land. I dearly hope Callista won't end up the same way."

Sofia did a movement that suggested she wasn't sure as she gathered up her things.

"I really can't believe you have no shoes on. Your feet aren't cold?"

"It feels so good! Have you ever tried it?"

"What do you take me for? Of course not!"

Sofia chuckled at him. He was so funny even if he didn't mean to be. Truth be told he found her equally funny in more ways than one. Given her background she did break a lot of rules and Sofia did whatever her heart told her was best, even if it was unusual. The light pattering of her feet on the marble floors echoed softly as she walked back to her room, keeping up conversation with him.

"Could you get the door for me?"

Cedric opened the door to her room and she placed her stuff down but he lingered there at the door way, arms crossed nonchalantly and waiting for her. She made her way over to him after she wiped off the makeup from her face. She felt like herself again. He took out a rectangular small box from his robe and gave it to her. It was decorated with paper that looked identical to her very first dress and had a big silky white bow.

"You did get me something!"

"You doubted me?"

"No," Sofia exclaimed, a bit aghast at the suggestion, "I could never doubt you! But why did you wait so long to give me this?" She pulled at the ribbon and when it was off placed it on the bedside table. She wanted to keep it and wear it in her hair.

"I thought you might prefer it that way. Was I wrong?"

"No. It was so crowded in there and I was a bit overwhelmed, I don't think I gave everyone my attention. Now I can fully appreciate this without being surrounded by everyone watching me and judging me."

"Who in the name of Jupiter's jellybeans is judging you?"

"Not sure who exactly but I can tell. Why else was everyone whispering?"

Sofia unfolded the wrapping paper and opened the box. When she looked at what was inside, she let out a delighted gasp. She could tell it was a bracelet but it was made of pure gold and had little charms hanging off of it. That's why he was practicing the spell so diligently, to make her this. She squealed in spite of herself.

"You like it then?"

"Oh I love it! It's so beautiful!"

Cedric delicately took it out of the box and put it on her other arm. It fit just right.

"Each charm represents something you enjoy in life."

"I see! There's a flying horse, a bunny, a rose, a book, our family crest, a dazzle ball, a wand, a crown, there's even a tiny amulet!" She touched each little dangling gold piece that decorated the bracelet. There was also a small version of a strawberry, two birds, jaquins, an easel, a snowflake and a few other things.

"You always give the best gifts but I think you've outdone yourself this year! Thank you sooooo much!"

"You're soooo welcome."

"No really...this is...I have no words."

"I could think of one- Ahhhhh mazing."

Sofia laughed light as air and he laughed with her but his laughter was slowed down and outright silenced as she hugged him tightly. He hugged her too, twirling her slightly as he did so. Her laughter continued, making him feel giddy as it always did.

"Alright you've had enough fun for one night. It's time for bed."

Sofia yawned a little and agreed with him it was time for bed. She was put to sleep and was told goodnight. Sofia slept very well that night absentmindedly giggling in her sleep as she dreamt of swirling and twirling amongst the night sky with her great friend Mr. Cedric.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun rose on another beautiful day in Enchancia warming the snuggled up princess. She rubbed her eyes as she awoke, smiling lazily but happily at the bracelet on her wrist. On her window side sitting area slept a snoring Clover but not for long. Bursting inside from the outdoors, through the window, disturbing the peaceful scene was a flurry of teal. The creature landed on top of the poor sleeping rabbit causing him to tumble and roll around on the ground.

"Goood morning Cloooveerrr!" The strident female voice called out, now obvious to all eyes who it was. It was Sofia's dragon pal, Crackle, who seemed to have a thing for Clover despite the species difference.

Clover was not even half as chipper to see her, having been awoken so rudely. "Yeah it would have been... if you hadn't woken me up!"

"I'm sorry, Clover," The dragon only half seriously replied, a big sharp toothed grin on her face and her tail wagging like a dog. "but I'm just so happy to see you today!"

"Morning Crackle," Sofia called out, stepping into her slippers and going over to pet the dragon who day by day was growing bigger. Soon there might not be too much room for her in the castle. She did a pleased grin while thumping her tail on the floor.

"Ooh Sofia, happy late birthday! Sorry I couldn't come but I've been meeting up with the dragon council."

"I understand. I'm happy you are here now but try to be a little quieter, everyone else is still asleep."

"Oh right right...quiet. Got it. I can do that."

Clover raised a dark grey brow at her and whispered sidelong to Sofia, "Not so sure about that."

Sofia often wondered if Vivian missed her dragon since she could often be found wherever Clover was but Vivian was fine with it. Actually Vivian encouraged Crackle to play and run free, dragons aren't meant to be tied to one area all day. Vivian was deeply studying dragons and their lore, Sofia would take her to the palisades often to meet with Everburn and the rest. Sofia sat down at her vanity and brushed her hair into a high ponytail, securing it with the silky white ribbon she had recently attained. More flighty visitors came through her window, little Mia the bluebird was huffing and puffing fast as she beat her wings.

"Sofia Sofia! Something exciting happened! Robins eggs are hatching!"

Sofia's eyes got wider and her smile grew. For a while Robin had been hanging out with another red bird who called himself Finchley. He was not really from around there, actually he was from a few kingdoms over and had just been flying in from the winter, but when he met the other birds there, he decided to stay. Sofia was still naïve in a lot of ways about adult things but understood it took a mommy and a daddy to make babies, she just wasn't sure how yet. It was wonderful news when Robin laid eggs and they had looked so beautiful, all baby blue and speckled. Sofia leapt up and got dressed as quickly as she could and ran down the stairs, enthused about seeing the baby birds. She nearly knocked over Baileywick who was on his way to wake her up.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" He called after her as she kept running.

"No time to talk, Baileywick! Robin's had her chicks!"

Baileywick was confused and scratched his head. He knew the names of all the palace pets but he had no idea who Robin was. 'Oh well', he thought, 'at least she's up.' Sofia didn't want to miss breakfast but she also didn't want to miss this for all the world. When she finally got to the forest, she saw there was a crowd of animals all wishing Robin well, then she saw the tidy little nest with her red feathered friend proudly standing over her chirping children. In total there were three and all were peeping in a hard to understand way for Sofia. Since they were still babies, they couldn't really talk yet.

"Sofia you made it!" Robin exclaimed, fluttering her wings. "Come see. Aren't they precious?"

Sofia peeked in at the fluffy but not feathery baby birds in the nest who all sounded glad to be alive and looked healthy. Her face glowed with delight as they were fed some worms plucked from the garden.

"Have you named them?"

"Yes! This one is Rosie, this one is Carmine, and this one is Scarlet. Two girls and one boy."

"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you. Oh but I've gotta go eat my own breakfast. I'll come back later today with some seed for you."

"Thank you!"

Sofia waved at them and fled just as fast as she came, giddy and light. She made sure to wash up before sitting down and started to tell everyone why she was late.

"Oh how delightful!" Her mother remarked, taking a sip of her water.

"Spring has come early this year," Her father commented, nodding at his wife who seemed to, at least by Sofia's account, turn a little pink for no reason.

"Ooooh Sofia! I just noticed what a beautiful bracelet you have! Can I see?" Amber cooed, dabbing the side of her mouth delicately with the napkin.

Sofia obliged, holding out her arm, the light reflecting off the golden color made it sparkle even more. Amber was gentle holding her arm and inspecting the priceless piece. She could see the charms and seemed to like the crown one most of all because she kept looking at it intently.

"That is lovely," Her mother agreed.

"It's brilliant!" James responded, mouth full of food. His manners were still not princely at all. At times he acted no better than a common village boy.

"Who gave you this? Was it a boy...?" Amber inquired with a raise of a perfectly shaped eyebrow and a strange smile on her face.

"I guess you could say that...Mr. Cedric gave this to me."

"Oh..." Amber seemed disappointed all the sudden. Sofia wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Perhaps, for whatever reason, she was envious. "I had thought... well I suppose it's nice of him to give you something like that. Maybe for my birthday I'll ask for the same thing then we can match."

Sofia didn't want to be rude and say no but she kind of wanted to be special and have the only one. This was made just for her by someone she loved, it felt somehow wrong to her for Amber to have one made by him too. She couldn't say what she felt because it wasn't nice of her so instead, she nodded with her lips pressed together. After breakfast she decided to tell everyone her plans, about how she had finally decided one what school to choose and that she would apply as soon as she possibly could. Everyone thought it a marvelous idea but Amber was distraught that she wasn't going to the same school.

"But are you sure you wouldn't rather go to MY school? You'd have a banquet every night and get to wear fine clothing. The teachers are also very refined and the dorm rooms are fabulous."

"It sounds all very nice but it's not for me. "

"You'll be so far away, though. We may only get to see you during holidays!"

"I know but this is what I want and I'm sticking to it. I'll send you all letters and post cards!"

It took a long time to convince Amber not to be upset about the whole thing but finally she gave up and told Sofia that as long as she was happy, she'd support her. Sofia was glad to hear it. Later on she decided to take a visit to Ruby and Jade and tell them the good news. They too were sad to see her going so far but would be there rooting her on. She spent the early evening there helping whoever she could and enjoying apple muffins freshly baked by the local baker. They were so delicious she ordered a couple more and took them home. She'd give some to her ever hungry rabbit of course, to the servants, to her brother and sister though she knew Amber might decline. She always said something about the bread and sugar not being good for the waistline. Sofia got herself a little tray and put some things on top of it, planning to give a treat to a certain someone who lived in a tower. She knew a lot of the servants didn't have the nice breakfasts she had and she always loved to treat them to something, perhaps a plate of sliced salami for lunch or some braised hen for dinner. They deserved better than the little bits of hard bread and soup they got. They liked it, it's just they really should have been given the fine quality food she was able to eat. Besides there was always too much left over so it should go to them.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cedric, but I can't knock today! Could you let me in?"

The door opened on its own and she smiled as she waltzed inside, seeing him sitting upright on a small sofa, staring at her with a book in his hands. It was a casual read this time, not a spell book. He seemed to be relaxing and this time he wasn't in his robes, as usual, his tie was untied and he had on loafers. It was as casual as she'd ever seen him and it surprised her. She blinked three or four times and her cheeks felt hot before she gathered up her wits and placed the tray on the table.

"What is that you've brought me?"

"Twilly leaf tea and apple muffins with some fresh smoked ham."

"You spoil me, you know."

Sofia sat down upon the chair, not the rolling kind that was there, swinging her legs above the floor. She noted she could touch it with the tips of her toes. She really was growing then. She set up the tea cups, one on each side. She still had her swan painted one from long ago and that's what she used but she had painted one for him too, though they didn't have tea together enough to use it. Cedric placed the book down and tied his tie, making himself a bit more presentable but as he reached for his robe on the hook Sofia stopped him.

"No I never get to see you in your normal clothes. Please stay as you are."

"As my princess commands," He replied, with a pinch of sarcasm before sitting down across from her. He watched her place her napkin in her lap and pour the tea, surprising him with her strength since the pot looked heavy.

"Do you know my friend, Robin, had her eggs hatch today? I saw the babies and they were adorable."

Cedric hummed as he blew on the tea, not taking much sugar. He was never one for sweets but Sofia liked things to be extra sweet so she dropped four lumps of sugar in her own. Even the way she stirred was graceful, like a figure skater. She was truly the best princess and the best girl he had the pleasure of meeting. Strike that, she was no longer a girl anymore. She was a little lady, though it was hard to see her as such, even now.

"It's fascinating, the miracle of life. It's like magic exists in every part of the world." She looked right up at him, those big blues aglow with her pureness and sense of wonder. It charmed him. He smiled tenderly at her as he took a sip. Sofia took her cup in both of her hands and drank deeply from it, not losing eye contact. When she put the cup down, she started to look in the bottom of the cup and swirled the contents.

"I've heard some kinds of people can read tea leaves and tell your future. I met a woman called Madam Ubetcha who used her crystal ball to show me what would happen next."

"I've never been good at divination, myself. It just looks like a bunch of blobby shapes to me."

"That's okay. I don't want to know my entire future anyways. I want to be surprised. You know what though, there are somethings I'd like to know, not about my future but in general. Like, where is it that babies come from anyhow?"

Cedric nearly spit out the tea all over her when she asked that but he only choked a little on it. He got into a fierce coughing fit worrying his young friend who put down everything hurriedly and went to his side, patting his back.

"You okay?"

He picked up a napkin and covered his mouth as he coughed a bit more then wiped himself off. Though his hair was fine he wiped it back and straightened himself back up, averting looking at her now with a blush across his face.

"I... I'm fine...um as far as your question I'd ask one of your parents."

"You don't know?"

"I know of course I do! But they should tell you, not me."

"Alright... I'm sorry if I startled you."

"You're fine, dear. Please let's just forget about the whole thing."

Sofia was really very confused about what had just transpired between the two to make things seem awkward but now she wished she didn't ask. She ate and drank with him mostly in silence, shyly averting her eyes and feeling upset because he still seemed out of sorts. After a few bites she couldn't stand it any longer and decided to break the silence by talking about whatever came to her mind such as Crackle's visit, and then how her sister really liked the bracelet.

"She got kind of sad when she realized it was from you."

"Oh?"

"She thought a boy gave it to me and I said sort of."

He snickered a little with one eyebrow up. "Sort of? I'm only sort of a boy?"

"Well you're a man, Mr. Cedric, not like James. He's a boy. I guess she thought a prince gave it to me."

"I bet..." He grumbled sourly, arms crossed.

"What's wrong now?" Asked the somewhat exasperated princess, even her own patience was getting a little thin because of the lack of information she understood. On top of that it was twice already she had made Cedric act strangely. He unfolded his arms, softening at her voice.

"It's just...forgive me for saying so, but your sister is a bit well..."

"Bossy?"

"That too but well for starters she's never had the best impression of me and I've heard her say to others that we spend too much time together."

"And thaaaat'sss a bad thing?" Sofia questioned with a sweet voice.

"To her it is. She thinks you should be more like her, in more ways than one."

"I noticed... I liked the color of my dress and the frills but it wasn't me. It was my big party and I didn't feel like myself. I really should talk with her."

"You do that, dear. Best hop to it now before she goes and reorganizes your entire wardrobe," Cedric jested making Sofia try to hold back her giggling but it couldn't be helped.

After a bit she left with her cup and went to find her sister. It was time they had a girl talk and no matter what Sofia would not take no for an answer. She loved her sister dearly, loved a lot of things about her, but Sofia needed to be listened to and her desires should always be considered. Sofia was her own person as Cedric had said but Amber still couldn't help treating her little sister like a doll to dress up. As Sofia approached Amber's room she stopped, hearing something odd. She was not a nosy person by nature but her curiosity was insatiable. She teetered on the abyss of leaning forward and listening and respecting the privacy of her sister.

She chose to respect her but she could still hear, even at a respectable distance, what sounded like two muffled voices. One sounded like a boy, perhaps she and James were in there discussing things. Sofia waited, not wanting to intrude on a private discussion. She hummed to herself a little ditty that she had come up with and always hummed since she was very small. Soon her waiting was over, out of Amber's room popped out a boy indeed but not James at all and really not a boy, but a young man. Prince Axel, Hugo's brother. Sofia sat stunned as her sister leaned out of the door and kissed him right on the mouth, saying goodbye to him in a slow way.

Prince Axel wiped off her lipstick but bore a smile telling her he had enjoyed their little kiss but didn't want any other to know. He didn't even see Sofia there and she was glad of that. She felt she had walked into something she was not meant to see or know about. As he left Sofia still stood there unsure of what to do or what to say. It appeared she would not be the first to make a move for Amber turned just the right way to see her sister standing in the shadows, rubbing her arm and wishing she wasn't there for some reason. Amber wore the most horrified face she had ever seen and she grabbed Sofia's arm so hard it almost hurt as she dragged her into the room. The golden haired princess closed the door, locked it, and pressed herself against it as if a hoard of wild beings were pushing on the other side.

"What all have you seen?!"

"I uh... just well saw you kiss Prince Axel... that's all I swear!"

Amber looked into Sofia's eyes. "You have to swear something else, Sofia, swear you'll never tell anyone. I mean ANYONE! Don't even tell a single animal!"

"But Amber I can't just keep a secret like that all bottled up inside me! Please just talk to me, tell me what happened. I won't be upset or anything."

"You wouldn't understand yet."

"Help me understand," Sofia pleaded, taking her sister's hands and bringing her to sit down with her on her satin bed. "We are sisters and we're supposed to be honest no matter what. You like him, right?"

"I think that's obvious enough but I like his brother too and I don't know which one to choose! Oh Sofia I'm so torn over what to do!"

"Choose? Choose for what?"

"Sofia! Don't you know?"

Sofia shook her head no. There was plenty she didn't understand yet but assumed she was now old enough to get it. Amber sighed, keeping her hand on Sofia's.

"There's a reason I dressed you the way I did. When you turn into a teenager that means that you become...available for suitors to start coming your way. I've had my share and I don't know if James has courted anyone yet. It doesn't matter, the point is, now you are a full-fledged woman in the eyes of society, you've already had your first red flower."

"But aren't suitors people who want to marry you... or go on dates at least?"

"Yes exactly. I spoke to a lot of princes that night about you and let's just say there are some who are very interested."

Sofia's skin wasn't sure whether it should turn scarlet or white so it stuck in-between. She wished she never asked, maybe she could have lived in blissful ignorance but for how long? She just couldn't believe it, she was only just now thirteen and already there was a list of prospective princes who wanted to one day marry her or at least date her. In her own mind she felt she was too young for that but come to think of it Hildegard and Zandar had been dating since graduation. Sofia wasn't ready, though. She had too much to focus on and do. It could wait until at least her studies were done... plus there was something else but she wouldn't say. Not yet. Amber was rushing her too fast into this, dressing her up in an eye catching way, putting on makeup that just wasn't well suited for her, and not to mention those dreadful but no less beautiful heels. It was like she was being put onto a train and unaware of its destination nor did she even want to be on said train. People were deciding her future without her knowing or even asking her if it was okay. Well it surely wasn't okay. She would be the one to decide.

"Amber I suppose I appreciate you trying to help me...but this is my life and I want to be the one who makes the calls. I don't want to upset you or anybody else but I want to be the one to say when I'm ready for marriage or dating. I want to finish school and I still like to adventure to far off lands. There aren't many princes who would go along with that sort of lifestyle. I'm not going to give up being what or who I am for anyone but me. I hope you understand. I'm supposed to be a woman, then let me be treated like one. Let me make my own decisions."

Sofia stood tall and stared her on with dignity not defiance. She wanted to be taken seriously and after all she had done and accomplished in life, she thought others would know that. She had saved the kingdom and its inhabitants too many times to count and sometimes she did it without any help at all. Surely that and the fact that she had handled so many types of magic, curses, and beasts of the Ever Realm could mean she should be given due respect. Though Sofia was more than likely not going to be Queen of Enchancia, and if she was certainly not yet, right now she had a regal demeanor about her that even Amber had to stand and admire. She looked upon her sister, her very young and underdeveloped sister, and saw the woman inside breaking out wanting to be shown to the world and demanding as politely as possible that everyone pay attention. Amber could hear her, she could hear her loud and clear.

"Sofia I'm so sorry if you feel like I've been not listening or respecting your wishes. I've been so concerned about what I thought was best for you that I didn't even stop to ask you what you felt. Things have been so crazy but even if it gets to be a circus, I should still make time to hear what you have to say. You're right, you are a woman now, and I apologize if I treated you like you weren't one."

Sofia accepted the apology and made up with Amber, the two now were much more settled and relaxed with each other. They shared some laughter and stories, catching up on things and feeling like, even though they were teenagers now, children at a slumber party yet again. When the girly laughter stopped Amber finally felt comfortable enough to confess all that was inside of her because though she wanted to keep it a secret, she knew she could put her trust in Sofia. Laying on her stomach and staring at her freshly painted orange nails, Amber sighed.

"You're good at giving advice, Sofia. What should I do about Hugo and Axel?"

"Hmm...which one do you like most?"

"I like them both for different reasons so that's partially why I can't decide. I guess if I had to say I like Axel the best. He's much more grown up, more my speed, athletic, tall, handsome, well off, and he's a very loving person."

"So what's the problem then?"

"If I chose one or the other it will cause a tear between the brothers. They might not even speak to each other. Imagine how jealous Hugo would be if he found out his big brother stole yet another thing he wanted or imagine how insulted Axel would be if I chose his young brother over him."

The young princess put her hand on Amber's back, soothing her frustration. "If they like you as much as they say and if they are true brothers then they shouldn't squabble over things."

"You're right, Sofia. If they can't act like men and get over their issues with dignity then they aren't really for me. You really should go to my school, you'd make the best adviser!"

"I will still be one, I just want to learn magic is all."

"Then you'll be the best magical adviser ever!"

The day went by fine enough, Sofia retired to the regular library. The secret one had not called her for a while yet. She found a scroll and a pen and began writing her letter to the school about wanting to go there, signing off with a stamp at the end just as she was shown in Royal Prep. Then she looked at the clock. It was almost time for dinner. She sent out her letter and by the time she washed her hands it was time to eat. Sofia said nothing of the happenings of the day, it was not for her to tell. Amber should be the one to tell when she felt like it was appropriate.

"Oh! I almost forgot that I'm having a meeting with both the emperor of Wei Ling and the Sultan of Tangu. I want everyone on their best behavior."

"Is Zandar going to come over, dad?" James asked, excited to see his best friend again.

"Yes, the prince will be here and I'm sure you two will have a grand time, but make sure to keep it down. This meeting is very important."

"Of course! I'll just be off outside away from the board room so we won't disturb you."

"What about Princess Jun and her brother? Are they coming?" Sofia piped up.

"They had to stay home to prepare for the paper lantern festival but if you want, we can get you a carriage and you can go over there with them."

"Sounds perfect!"

Sofia marked her calendar for the date but she also started to set aside some things to pack, not for her trip there but for her trip to her new school. It would be all too soon, she knew, that they'd send her an acceptance scroll back and she'd be on the first flying chariot over there. When at last the time came for the meeting everyone was dressed a bit differently. Amber was trying to look stately and queen-like to impress everyone, greeting the male leaders in their traditional ways, while James was in his play clothes, ready to go rough around outside. Sofia wore something inspired by Wei Ling attire, an A-line lavender cheongsam printed with vibrant pink flowers. She bowed to the emperor and sultan then made her way to the carriage, almost bouncing with delight to see her friends. She loved Wei-Ling, it always smelled like rice, jasmine, and incense and she loved the food too, though she had a hard time working the chop sticks. When she landed, she was greeted by Princess Jun who gave her a tight hug. Like Sofia, she too was a late bloomer, having remained petite and slim.

"It's so good to see you again, Sofia. We've been preparing all day for the festival. Here I snuck you a sesame seed ball."

Sofia took the treat and nibbled it, tasting the sweet red bean filling inside. All around her were people making lanterns of all shapes, sizes, and colors and at night they would release them into the sky. Jun's was a classic red with her name in Chinese lettering painted on with gold metallic paint, her brother had to be more elaborate with a dragon shaped lantern. He said if all went well it would even breathe fire. Their own sorcerer made a simple tan one but painted a delicate picture all across of a bamboo forest with a waterfall. Sofia was reminded of her dancing panda friend. She was invited to get in on the lantern painting and made a light pink one painted with stars and moons on one side and the sun and clouds on the other.

It was said that the lanterns were supposed to help celebrate the new year and bring good fortune upon the city. Sofia thought about her dandelions and how the seeds might reach the heavens, perhaps it was the same with paper lanterns. Just in case she was right she wished upon it that her trip to her new school would be full of fun and no misfortune. During a break they all drank green tea cross legged while listening to flute music and eating rice cakes. It was always so mystical here, like a place untouched by modern society, stuck in the old world. Sofia looked around and felt a light breeze blow through the peach blossom trees, making a petal fall to her nose. She blew it off.

"So Jun, are you going to be attending the Magical Academy after all?"

"Yes I sent in my application and already got my acceptance letter. I will be heading there in a few days. What about you?"

"I guess I'll be in the same boat soon enough but at least I will have you there with me. Won't it be great to learn magic together? Maybe we'll be dorm mates!"

"I hope so, I'm nervous about meeting new people."

Throughout the day Sofia helped and assisted anyone who needed her all the while admiring the culture and artwork. Even the palace here was something splendid. When she got a bit older, she might vacation here and stare out at the misty mountains, dreaming of flying up to the very top to drink from the springs. She heard it was the sweetest most pure water you could ever hope to taste and that if you bathed in them you were healed of whatever ailed you. It had been a long day for them all and it was time to go home. She waved goodbye to everyone having a basket full of goodies to bring home. The meeting had gone well, no interruptions what so ever. James and Zandar had played enchanted discus outdoors along with Rex who kept running away with it and they had to chase him. Amber was fine just watching, entertained a little but mostly looking up at the sky as it faded into stars.

"Sofia, namaste!" Zandar called out, waving at her with the discus in his hand.

"Hello there. Did you two have fun today?"

"Yeah I totally whipped your brother, 10 to 5."

"I let you win only because you're my friend."

"Whatever you say," Zandar complied with an eye roll. "Any who, it's been good to see you all. Next time we'll have a rematch, winner takes all."

"Bring it on!"

Sofia smiled at them and moved along on her way to the kitchen to give some of the food to the chef. There were white peaches, steamed buns, fish caught from a stream, and sugar cane. The chef thanked her and told her to thank her friends next time she saw them. Sofia gladly would. It was two days later, early in the morning when the acceptance letter came in. Sofia read it over and over again looking at the shiny golden foiled name scrawled onto the bottom. Professor Marmicus, headmaster of the Magical Academy. She showed off her letter to her mother and father first, beaming brightly.

"Well done Sofia! I knew they couldn't say no to you."

"How could they, Rolly? She's been practicing under the tutelage of a wizard all her life. They'd be crazy not to accept someone so gifted."

"That's true, Sofia does possess the magic touch."

Sofia laughed with her father at his joke. He kissed her forehead and her mother kissed her cheek. All around she showed off her letter, trying to wait until the last moment to tell Cedric. She still felt a sense of unhappy dread in the base of her stomach because she'd be leaving all the things she'd grown attached to over the years. Clover was sad he could not go with her but she promised him it was not because she didn't want him to go, it was just he'd be a lot happier here and she told him that magicians use rabbits a lot... he might accidentally get spelled away. It was time to tell Cedric, she took a big breath and knocked but no response. She knocked again. Nothing. As much as she hated barging in, she had to make sure everything was alright so she unlocked the door.

"Mr. Cedric?"

But he wasn't there at all. Then as she got in, she could hear his voice, he was in the basement. No wonder he couldn't hear the door! When he came up the stairs, he nearly had a heart attack seeing her sitting there, not expecting her to be right in the middle of his work shop.

"Neptune's nettles, Sofia! You nearly made me jump out of my own skin."

"You didn't answer the door so I sat here because you were downstairs. I'm sorry I frightened you."

"No it's alright...I was just lost in my mind... did you need something?"

"I got accepted," Sofia answered, holding out the letter. He took it from her and read it over. She noted his smile wasn't his best. He was pleased for sure, but he was also not so pleased.

"Wonderful! You'll make an excellent student, I'm sure. Your head master used to teach at Hexley Hall, you know."

"Mr. Cedric... if I could be there and be here somehow without making evil me again then I would. I don't want you to be lonesome."

"Oh don't you worry about me, dearest. I'll be right as rain. I'm just not all there right now, feeling a bit light headed from staying up all night."

"You need a nap then."

He yawned though it did seem exaggerated but she paid it no mind. "Yes, of course a nap would do me wonders. You go, now. I'm sure you have lots of packing to do. When...when is it you leave?"

"I think it said I'll be given a week before the carriage arrives."

He nodded and handed her back the letter, yawning again and heading up the stairs to his personal quarters. She watched him go with a frown especially at being dismissed a bit rudely but he was tired and she would leave him be. She needed to go to bed soon herself. Cedric did not nap as he had said but laid his body down on the bed with a thud anyhow. His entire form felt like it weighed as much as a ton of bricks but even that didn't compare to the weight in his heart. He both wanted and didn't want her to go. She needed this, deserved this, should do this but he was being selfish. He was thinking only of himself and he knew that. He somehow wished he could care less and be happier for her but it was hard to say goodbye to his only friend, someone so near and dear to him that'd he would, and almost did, die for. He took the pillow in his bed and squeezed it against himself. He had received no hugs from her today and this would have to do.

"Oh what is wrong with me? I should be happy! It's not everyone who gets accepted into such a fine school and if anyone should go it's her."

"You're talking to yourself again, aren't you Ceddykins?" He heard his mother's voice talking to him but it sounded muffled seeing as it was all the way downstairs. She had popped out of the portrait again and was making her way up to him.

"What did I tell you and father about intruding on my life?"

"I know I know but you need us. A mother always knows when her child is upset. So tell me what's wrong," Winifred insisted, now by his side and stroking over his head caringly.

"You've already heard me and I'm not repeating it. There's nothing to be done about it, thank you now leave."

"That is no way to talk to your mother, Cedric. Now you listen to me, that girl is something special; a girl like that is very uncommon."

"You think I don't know how special she is? Not just any child can contend with the powers of the amulet of Avalor. If you're going to state the obvious please go away."

"Stop sulking! You're worse than your father when he doesn't win an award. It's not the end of the world, in fact it's the beginning. What is it you are so afraid of?"

"Hmp. I'm not afraid of anything," He claimed, trying to skootch away from her and bury himself under the covers.

"You are acting like a child! Really! If you want, I'll send over a guardian to watch over her."

"A what?" He asked, peeking out from the sheets.

"You know, a familiar. Someone to keep her company and report back if something goes awry."

Cedric didn't feel like saying yes or worse, admitting that's not even what he was upset about. He realized it was childish and immature, he knew that very well but that's truthfully how he was a lot of the time, despite his age. It must have been because he was denied a true childhood. He sighed deeply and agreed with it but it wouldn't help, not one hundred percent. He had no one else to talk to, to hang out with, to bounce ideas off of, to make him laugh and smile. Without her he lived in shadows, without her he felt like half of him was missing. It was stupid to feel that way, especially towards a child, but she was his everything and everyone knew that. She was the cure for his depression, too. Nothing cured the blues more than the girl in purple. His mother pet him again and gave him a hug, then a quick kiss on the temple.

"Everything will be just fine, you'll see. She'll be fine."

"She will... but I might not be."


	3. Chapter 3

Sofia had done her packing, said goodbye to a lot of the people outside of the castle, made sure the protectors knew of her situation, and made sure the vegetable garden was well tended to for the animals and of course for the gnomes. She'd be missing the harvest festival and that made her glum, she'd also miss the summertime beaches and going to see her merfriends at Merroway Cove, she'd miss the fresh watermelon smoothies and picnics, she'd miss walking around with a parasol in the midsummer sun, looking up at the clouds. Most of all she'd miss her family and friends.

Tomorrow was the day the carriage would await and though she was excited she was also sad. How could she not be? At the minimum she'd have some friends there and it truly wouldn't be that bad. She couldn't help sometimes when she got so sad she felt like crying a tiny bit but she bucked up and got over it. This was her time to shine brighter than ever before, time to prove herself, time to make something of all her teachings, and show everyone that she could succeed. Plus she really did want to make Cedric and his family proud. They'd all be there tomorrow to send her off.

She spent as much time as possible with her family and animals, trying to make the most of the hours she was given. She had comprised a list of her pets different foods and management for anyone that would need it. Violet had given her a tearful farewell, even having made her a card all on her own. Violet was Sofia's favorite maid and she had become close to her over the years. Baileywick was restraining his emotion but Sofia knew better, she could see it in his eyes that he was happy for her but would miss her just as much as she would him. She had played old maid with him during his off hours while they talked about whatever came to mind.

The only person she scarcely saw during this whole time was her royal sorcerer. Between squeezing in her duties and her goodbyes she didn't have time but he also seemed to be avoiding her. He had used to stay up in his tower for eons but as their friendship grew, he became more sociable and was seen throughout the castle, even in the gardens from time to time not just for plucking herbs and weeds. Now he was back to lurking in his lair without her seeing a single flash of his dark purple robes. Night time was fast approaching and she now had enough time to visit him and tell him goodbye but her amulet glowed blue. The library was calling her.

Seeing as she was not going to be able to do it any other time, she had to answer the call. The book she was given was called Lilith The Unlucky Leprechaun and in it there was a young pointy eared girl who had the worst luck. Sofia was able to fly with great speed over to Springvale to assist in giving the lass a happy ending. It turned out she didn't need luck at all, all she needed was to understand that not everything goes right nor can everything be perfect. Sofia learned much from that too and as she headed to bed, she thought of it all. She considered this chance to be lucky and that she shouldn't take what good luck she was given for granted. Her eyes were getting heavy as she imagined the green rolling hills and the step dancing they had done to the jaunty tune. She had been out a long time and needed to sleep and sleep she did. When she awoke to the fresh morning, she opened the window, letting in the air. It smelled like it might have rained while she slept and she loved that smell. Sofia breathed it in deeply.

She bathed, dressed herself, and put up her hair with the white bow. She had begun to take to having bows in her hair now but especially this one. Her amulet was polished, her dress dusted, her spirits bright. Today, no matter what, she would remain as upbeat as possible because this was her calling. She was born for magic more so than princessing. She stepped out of her room with a small purse on her and a cape on, she had heard even in the summer it gets cold where she was headed. As she exited her room and began to walk, she didn't notice the lingering person there and bumped right into them. When she looked up, she saw it was Cedric, giving her a sad sort of smile but it also looked apologetic.

"Sofia..."

"Mr. Cedric!"

She held him in her arms and he held her in his, tight as he could, not wanting to let go even if you offered him the crown jewels themselves. He felt awful for ignoring her but he had to set himself straight and he also had work to do anyhow, a sorcerer's work is never done. She took a deep breath of him in, wanting the smell of him to never leave her.

"Merlin's mushrooms..." He lamented. "Oh how I will miss you."

"Please don't cry, Mr. Cedric. It's a good thing! See, I'm not crying." Sofia put on a warming smile that made her cheeks dimple. "We have to put on our brave faces as we go on this new adventure and we have to make the best of it. Of course I'm going to miss you, I'll miss everyone so very much, but this is what drives me, what gives me joy. I want to go, so badly."

"I know you do...and I will support you with every step. I shall also be waiting for your return during the holidays. I've already thought up a wonderful Wassalia gift for you."

Her smile dazzled him. He ached thinking he'd not see it till the winter and fall. He plucked up his own happiness and made it surge throughout him. His petite princess stood there with dry eyes and so shall he. He put his hand on her back and she turned with him, both of them walking with pep in their steps towards a great big beautiful tomorrow that was starting today. Everyone was already up and waiting for her and all of them gave hugs and good wishes. His parents were there too, Winifred kissed her forehead as if she was her own daughter and Goodwin shook her hand firmly.

"I know you'll blow those other spell casters right out of the water, Sofia," Goodwin claimed, "You've got the right stuff in you, so do your best and you'll succeed!"

"Thank you, Mr. Goodwin."

"And remember, even if you can't see us, we will always be by your side, in spirit," Winifred attested, looking towards her son with a sly wink that made him look at her curiously.

Sofia's head perked up. She heard the hooves of horses and the beating of strong wings. The carriage was awaiting her. All of her bags were being loaded up by the staff and a footman from the school was there holding the door open for her. She took a deep breath, looking behind herself at the group, all smiling at her and waving while saying see you soon and have a nice time. She waved back the same way she had waved when she first got here, wearing a toothy grin, her eyes lighting up with merriment. She was ready to take this chance. She had faced dragons, wombeasts, giant snow leopards, sea serpents, and the owner of the wicked nine. This would be a piece of cake. She sat down and the door closed but she knew another door would open and this door would lead her to her future.

As the horse's wings flapped, she looked out the window, still waving at everyone, holding her smile. She moved from each face addressing them all as she carried out her final goodbyes, softly laughing at James asking her to come back with some brilliant tricks to show them. Baileywick was dabbing his eyes but did not seem sad, he seemed to be happy crying. The carriage flew off and the people became blurs then like little ants to her then out of sight entirely, yet she still waved. She said goodbye to the castle, to her room, to the secret garden, to the swan lake, to the library, to the stables, and to the tower standing tall and covered with vines. Then she relaxed back in the chair, closed the carriage windows, and then her eyes. It was going to be a long trip and she had woken up extra early after coming home extra late. A good nap was in order.

Her eyelids opened and the air felt different, a lot cooler than before. As she looked out the window, she saw an unfamiliar land with an unfamiliar building. Her new school was right below her and it looked imposing. It mostly royal blue and the fog around it made it look ominous. Yet it was entirely different than Hexley Hall. The only other thing was she could see some tiny candle lights flickering in the wind. As they got closer, she noticed it was people holding candles, three of the to be exact. She wondered if one of them was the head master. Her door was opened by the footman and she stepped out, wrapping herself up tightly in her coat. It was quite cool, she could almost see her breath.

"Welcome to the Magical Academy, Princess Sofia Winslow of Enchancia!" The stocky man in the front of the group announced. He was wearing a dark blue wizards' hat and matching cloak coated with gold stars and his shoes were pointed. He had a small dark brown beard and hair to match.

"I am the headmaster, Professor Marmicus. This is my assistant Headmistress, professor of the benevolent arts such as healing and conjuring pleasant things. Her name is Professor Sylvian and this one over here, is the professor of the darker arts, offensive spells and basic hexing, her name is Professor Nocturne."

Sofia went from one to the other and instantly was remind of Lucinda's two friends. These two were opposites in almost every way. Professor Sylvian was round and had short yellow hair with a sweet older face while Professor Nocturne was skinny and had long straight black hair with a gloomy expression upon a much younger face.

"You'll be split into one of the two houses, the White Mages or the Dark Mages then we can pick your studies. There will be a short test that will decide all of this based on your skills and what actions you take. I hope you brought your wand."

Sofia produced it from her sleeve, the wand tip glowing lavender. So far everything was unusual but nothing bad was happening. She most certainly did not want to be a dark mage, of that she was sure. There was nothing more she loved doing than healing and being pleasant so that seemed right up her alley. She hoped the test she took decided that as well or else she'd be in quite the pickle. Her stuff would be brought up to her room once they decided what room she would have, as the buildings were split by houses. Until then it would be placed in holding along with any other new students. She hoped one of those new students would be her friend Jun or at least some other person she knew.

Following the trio Sofia took a look around her at the surroundings. It was lit well enough indoors with lots of paintings of famous magical people, some were graduates of this school, and some were just witches and warlocks who were well respected. She was sad to see no portrait of her Mr. Cedric and wanted to make an inquiry at some point when she felt it was appropriate. She was led into a strange sort of room that was white all over with a few chairs and a desk. Sofia stepped in curiously, looking around for something, but perhaps the test was written and she would sit at the desk. When the door closed the two professors sat down and the head master stood close to her, brandishing his wand which looked like it was made out of an oak tree and with a star at the end. He waved it in a showy way producing a person sized doll with a sad frown on its face.

"Alright the test will begin. First off, what is your favorite color, flower, and season?"

"Oh. Lavender, roses, and I really like the fall but then again I love them all."

She noted that the two women behind her were writing stuff down, whispering and nodding to each other. Sofia asked nothing and just stood there, preparing herself for anything while also being stared down by the glass eyes of the doll.

"Sofia, imagine that this boy was your very best friend. If they wanted something special of yours, if they really needed it badly, what would you do?"

"Something special..." Sofia mused, holding onto her amulet tightly. She would never just give that up. "It depends on what it is they wanted and for why. I've had a lot of people try to steal things from me using lies and false promises, even one of my own family members. I'd have to think it over."

"Excellent answer. Now then imagine again that this is your best friend. They want to cheat off your test, what do you do?"

"I wouldn't let them but I would gladly have helped them study and try to cheer them up if they fail the exam."

"And if you had a name to attach to yourself what would it be? For example mine would be Marmicus the Majestic. Yourself?"

"Ooohh um...I guess... Sofia the Spectacular would be nice...but it's too big for me. I'm happy just being called my name."

Professor Sylvian seemed to smile more and nod, while scribbling down some things. More questions were asked, some in quick succession and some were lengthy and personal. One that had just came up asked her to choose between saving a friend or a family member or a perfect stranger. She had to choose one and Sofia nearly had a meltdown because she was imagining a scenario where one of them would die. She told him simply she just couldn't. She'd rather give up her own life than watch others get hurt but she'd still try to save them all. He seemed just fine with that answer, if anything he looked like he approved of it. They asked her things that didn't seem to matter like did she prefer night or day, cats or dogs, what her hobbies were, and things like that. When at last it was over both the women stood up behind her and cleared their throats.

"We have decided," They both stated at the exact same time.

Sofia wrung her dress a little nervously, hoping that she would be put into the white mage house, not that she had anything against the other houses people she was sure they were nice in their own way, after all often Cedric did dark magic and he was still a wonderful person to be with. She just knew in her soul it was not something for her.

"You would be perfect as a white mage. Welcome to my house, Sofia. It's an honor to have you."

Sofia could have leapt or danced but she curtsied as proper as she could but still felt like she wanted to hug the lady as if she had done something worthy of affection. She also curtsied to the other lady telling her as graciously as she knew that it was a pleasure meeting her and that she hoped she'd see her again soon.

"Oh yes she will do well in your house, Syll. Sugar is always been your specialty but mine is spice, and the girl is almost all sweet. Don't be offended, you do have a fighter spirit and courage, but you aren't dark mage material."

Sofia was not at all offended, she was mostly sweet and with a good enough dash of spice to be balanced. Besides what she had said only confirmed more that everyone could clearly see where she belonged. Sofia was told that her stuff would be moved into the southern wing where the white mages stayed and that she had been assigned a dorm mate. Her fingers were crossed that it would be Jun or at least someone pleasant to be around. She could certainly handle any type of person but would rather not be stuck with someone she didn't really want to be around. Sofia also put a four leaf clover that she had gotten from Lilith in her pocket, just in case. She had heard rabbit's feet were also lucky so she pet Clover's before she left. Perhaps all that would grant her what she wished. It seemed so for her dorm mate was indeed Jun, who stood there with her bright blue wizard hat moving over her head of silky black hair, a little too big for the small head it was on.

Sofia giddily held her hands and not caring who saw she jumped up and down with her friend in excitement at being dorm mates. Plus, it appeared she might be seeing Lakshmi and she was hearing rumors about Princess Lani coming too, despite not attending Royal Prep at all. Even if it wasn't true Sofia wanted to see her friend, it had been some time since she went to her islands and perhaps when there was available time, she'd check in on her friend to see how she was controlling the elements these days. Sofia was given her new schedule and checked to see if she shared any classes with Jun, she did share one with her and of course they would have their meals together in the dining room. She had heard it was an enchanted place where music would play with no players and it smelled of food before there was even food on the table.

"I just can't believe it! I'm really here!" Sofia exhaled, spinning around with her arms open ride in the new dorm room.

She had her own bed with plenty of space around it, a closet, a writing desk and chair, a book case, a trunk for extra things like shoes, there was a hat rack close to the door, and there was a balcony too. Jun's pet cat named Fenpu was languidly stretching on his cat tree near the sunlight. It was a beautiful white cat with little tan areas and a short tail but it also had striking blue eyes. Sofia went over and scratched him under his chin causing a light purr.

"Hello Fenpu," She whispered to the cat who shook its belled collar as it stretched more.

"Meeeoow. How purrfect to see you, Sofia. How is that fiend Rex doing? I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to my tail," The cat explained wiggling its small bobbed appendage. It was once long and silky but sadly Rex chased it and well, things went sour.

"I know but to be fair you still look lovely."

"Of course I do. That's never going to change."

Sofia got what little cat hair was on her off and looked again at her schedule. She would be starting one of her classes soon, thankfully they gave her two hours before shoving her into it just like that so she was able to fully unpack and prepare herself. Cedric and his family had supplied her with various spell books and of course she had her trusty wand. She held it tightly to herself, ready to use it and use it well. Packing her bag with the necessities she donned a robe branded with the schools' crest and alma mater written around it in Latin. It said, we have not magic blood but magic spirits.

At least something like that her Latin was rough. Sofia put on her favorite apprentice hat, tying the white ribbon now to the side, and then when the time came, she used her map and schedule to find her class. Beginners Potions with Professor Reddington. During all her classes she was diligent, prudent, and took a lot of notes while asking questions but she got most of it well enough. At lunch and dinner she met up with Jun and found Lakshmi who wore a feathered turban with a large red gem in the middle. They all chatted together while eating about what they had done during the day. Then it was on to her next classes but on her way to the Illusionium she was stopped by someone with ringlets of chocolate brown and hazel eyes. She was a pretty young lady, a bit older than Sofia, and she was sizing her up.

"Humpf. And they call her a princess. No manners what so ever. Watch where you're going."

Sofia opened her mouth to reply that she had done nothing wrong but figured she would be wasting precious time. If she talked, she might be late so she just let it be. She knew some people here wouldn't be as nice as others. Her classes had started out simple but it was only the beginning, she knew tomorrow it might be harder and that she'd be pushed to her limits at some points. As she slipped into her pajamas in the separate bathroom and her house slippers, she thought about what new spells and tricks she might learn with a big grin on her face. Before she went to bed, she studied her notes, always the prudent student, and then headed to bed but not before wishing all those in Enchancia a good night. The morning came, just as chilly as the day before causing her to put on a scarf. It was a good thing her room was heated or else she might catch a cold. Breakfast came and she enjoyed it with her two prep pals but realized she was being stared down at by someone in the white mage table. It was that girl again, with her deep dark brown hair in curls looking at her as if she was something disgusting or amusing in the worst way. Sofia didn't let it bother her, in fact she waved friendly at the girl then continued to eat, almost smiling to herself at the reaction that gave.

Sofia wondered what her issue even was seeing as they had barely formerly met, she didn't even know her name nor shared any classes with her. Perhaps she just was one of those kinds of girls, the kind long long ago Amber could have been. It didn't really concern her, Sofia was not here to make enemies she was here to learn and make friends. Though she did not take any classes from the dark mages course that did not mean she never saw them, often they'd cross pass in the court yards, the hallways, during eating hours, and generally on the grounds. Sofia was as cordial with them as any other, not put off by their black robes or their broody demeanors or wicked auras. She was very used to that indeed and gave them all her warmest smiles and brightest hellos. Some of them were put off by it but others gave her the same in return. Even Sofia didn't notice she was being watched by one girl from the dark mages, shy and afraid to say hello but wanting to.

Evening came and Sofia rushed to lunch. The food here was superb and unique, some of the things she had never heard of or tried but was open minded enough to give anything a try. She had found out that she liked this spicy mango salsa on her eggs. She'd have to ask Elena or her sister if that's how they ate their eggs in Avalor because they called it something in Spanish Sofia wasn't exactly sure of. Sofia was starving, her lessons did that to her, but no such luck getting there in time, she met with the girl who seemed not to like her and was always there just lurking in the corners. She huffed as if aggravated by her mere presence, haughtily tossing her hair behind her.

"Oh look, it's her again," She spoke to her posse, one of which seemed to be someone she was intimate with, that is to say her boyfriend of some sort because she was hooked onto his arm in a semi affectionate but possessive way. "Don't think I've forgotten what you did this morning."

"All I did was wave at you. Isn't that the polite thing to do?"

"You act like you have the right to do that to me just because you're a royal. You don't know me at all and thank goodness you never will. Come on Geoffrey, let's go. I grow bored of this."

She drug her boyfriend along with her and the others by her side also stuck up their nose and walked away from her like she was someone beneath them. Sofia pouted a bit, unsure of what to do about this since it seemed she would not be left alone. She'd just have to remedy the situation as soon as possible lest it get out of hand. She felt a tap on her shoulder, a hesitant barely noticeable tap and she turned towards it, hoping the girls didn't come back to tease her. Instead it was a dark mage girl with the most unusual hair color Sofia had ever seen, it was this dark dusty pink color. Sofia hadn't seen anything like it, at least not on a human person, on a mystical type like a fairy or elf sure. It also almost covered her eyes to where Sofia wasn't sure if they were brown, black or a blue so dark it looked black.

"Oh! Hello there! Can I help you?"

"Looks like you could use some help. I see you've met my sister April."

"You're her sister? But you are so different!"

"Sometimes it happens that two people are born at the opposite sides of magic but in the same family. April has never been the nicest person and she hates competition."

"Competition? I was competing for anything, I'm just trying to get by," Sofia mentioned, walking alongside the girl to the banquet hall.

"You're very pretty and that will just keep growing over the years. She can't stand that someone might be prettier than her."

"Isn't that a matter of opinion? I mean I think I look alright."

"It's not about what you think. Ever since you got here boys and girls alike have started talking about the famous Enchancian princess with powers beyond belief, match that with your looks and you have a deadly combination for April."

"I understand, I've known people like her before and I can handle it. I'm glad you told me, though. Oh! What is your name, by the way?"

"Rain," She told her, shaking her hand with a light shy blush. "It's nice to meet you. I've been trying to summon up the courage to say hello but you are such a big star, you know. The heroine of Enchancia."

Sofia's cheeks turned red. Despite her efforts and battles she still was too humble to call herself these things and even if she did, she didn't think she needed to be worshiped for it. She had no clue she was such a legend amongst people of all different kinds but then again, she had almost singlehandedly defeated Vor with just the power of her internal light. No wonder then that some were even intimidated by her, she must seem so important. Well she wasn't, not really, she was just a girl doing what she felt was right with the tools she had been given. She wasn't so special as to be avoided or for people not to come up to. Sofia was a friend and helping hand to all who needed her, no matter what, and she would not lose that sense of honor or purpose nor would she be high and mighty about what she had done.

She wished Rain could sit with them but the tables were separating the dark and white mages so she could only look up every now and then and wave a little. She hoped that might change one day, that people could sit with whomever they chose but until that day she'd just meet up with her in the downtime she had. She introduced Rain, who was not a princess by any means but did come from a prestigious school that was similar to Royal Prep, to her other friends. Though she was so very strange to them Sofia liked her instantly, and though her friends didn't seem to like him, she liked her pet vulture. Of course Sofia could talk to him and found him a very dignified animal, telling her what his kind did actually helped the environment and though it was a nasty business it was how he had to survive. His name was Horace and he was a small enough breed to sit on Rain's shoulder, occasionally bouncing in the way vultures tend to do.

Sofia was upset because everyone had brought their pets along and she had left Clover at home all by his lonesome. She hoped someone was taking good care of him, giving him lots of treats and scratches behind the ears, and making sure to leave nuts for Whatnaught, and seed for the birds, and for Minimus to get lots of time to spread his wings. She missed them all and now she was bitter that she had not brought at least one of them with her. Jun and her cat were good company but Sofia did want her own little animal to talk to and cuddle with. That night she took out her stationary set, dipped her peacock plume that Amber had given her specifically from Praline into the ink pot.

She scrawled out onto the paper to the person she had promised to keep in touch with although she was going to write to her family too but she wanted to get it out first. After she was done with all her letters, she placed them in their own special envelopes, some decorated with glitter and stickers, but all were sealed with love. She tied them together tightly with twine but then wondered, what now? She was never shown any mailing system around here. She should go find someone who knew but just as she was about to, she heard a strange beautiful shriek outside with the flapping of wings. Just now landing on the railing of the balcony was a gorgeous stately looking owl, shaking snow off of her feathers. It was a darker colored owl not at all fit for around here which meant it was far away from home but it was also not a burrowing kind either yet it was small. It was a russet fall type of color that Sofia stood and admired, the sinking sun dying its feathers more orange than before. It had captivating orange-brown eyes. She went outside toward it, hoping she wouldn't scare it away before she could learn where it came from and what its name was.

"Hello...," Sofia welcomed cautiously, from a far enough distance. The owl blinked at her and bowed its head as much as possible.

"Good evening unto you, young princess. You are Sofia, am I right?"

"Yes that's me. How do you know about me?"

"Let's just say word travels fast in my woods. I've been sent to keep you company, though I was told not to tell you by whom."

"Oh how mysterious... hmm... then I guess you are sort of my guardian angel. Do you have a name?"

"My name is Minerva, your highness, and it pleases me greatly to be your companion."

"You aren't a wild owl, are you?"

"Yes and no. I prefer hunting as one and sleeping in trees does have its merits but I've been owned before by magical beings. My last owner set me free and I've been wondering around, trying to find a new home. It seems, for now, that it might be with you. Consider me now your faithful servant and dear friend."

Sofia was delighted and charmed, having never really met any owls before and there was something so mystifying about this one, like she was far older than she let on. It was as if she had seen many decades of change and yet as regal and proper as she came off, she was still incredibly sincere and sweet. It never did take long for Sofia to fall in love with an animal, she had always shared a kinship with them far before she had even thought of the castle. Even at three years old she gave bits of hard cheddar to the farm mice and helped a raccoon with a broken paw. Animals just always flocked to her, she noted that this is what animals do to princesses all the time. Perhaps then she was always meant to be one.

"Minerva, could I ask you a favor? Do you know where Enchancia is?"

"Very much so and it's not far from here at least for someone with my wing span."

"Oh that's wonderful to hear because I've written some letters here and I want them to be delivered there but I don't even know if there's a post around here. Could you manage it?"

"I could manage it a million times if you asked me, I'm still young and strong and the wind is in my favor. Any other wishes?"

"Well they might write me back and while I'm certain my family can figure out postage, I'd like you to stay there for a bit, specifically I'd like you to stay with my sorcerer. His name is Cedric, he's very fond of birds and he's going to be terribly lonely. He could use the company. So when he's done responding to my letters and gives you one back then you can come here with them. Until then please stay there, that would make me so happy to know he is no longer alone in that dark tower."

"I have heard of this Cedric, yes. It will be an honor to be at the service of a wizard yet again. I shall do as you ask without fail."

Sofia put a small note on Cedric's post so he'd understand who this owl was in order not to shoo it away or something. Just in case she tied her white ribbon around its neck, perhaps that will tell him she's domesticated and whom she belongs to. Off the owl went making Sofia's heart feel like it was soaring off with her, off to visit her family and friends. Each letter was delivered swiftly and silently, right in the front where the post often goes, awaiting the royals to read it but the one that was a special delivery would be handed to the person himself. The high window was open and Minerva could see this Cedric in his chair, looking a bit glum and forlorn but still studiously observing his spell books, occasionally flicking his wand but producing nothing but small sparks. Minerva cocked her head at him but flew in anyways, right next to him on the still standing bird stand that Wormwood had perched on. To her it seemed as if he was expecting her, she really didn't know it had belonged to another once.

Cedric was shocked so hard he nearly bolted upright out of the chair. He had not been expecting any company today but especially none of the avian variety. The owl stood on the perch as if it belonged there, poise exuding off of the fine creature. Truly it was so outstandingly beautiful and marvelous that Cedric stood there just looking at it. Cedric had, being what he was, an inclination towards owls. Sofia reminded him of an owl in some way, especially the ones so small you could cup them in your palm. Sofia was very smart, like owls allegedly were, and in fact that's what her name meant, it was wisdom or even philosophy. Given that was there any doubt she'd accel in all things that took brain power? The owl was wearing a white bow around it and in its beak it carefully held an envelope.

In his own school they used owls for post all the time, or whatever bird was available. Some even used dragons if they could manage to tame one, a rare feat indeed. He was prone to using the black bird that had betrayed him most recently but he was, to say the least, familiar with owls as carriers of mail. He didn't think it came from Hexley Hall, it didn't carry the wax seal, but the flowery writing on the front caught his attention as did that silk white bow. It looked so much like the one Sofia had taken to wearing in her hair. Perhaps, though he wasn't certain, this was her owl. He took the letter delicately and read his name on the front, written in neat cursive with purple ink that had only recently dried, he could tell because there was a small ink blot next to the 'c' at the end. He knew her handwriting well enough. No doubt about who wrote this.

"Sofia..." he sighed happily, quickly going over the small note attached to the front. His eyes went to the owl still standing there with a light smile. The note said; _Mr. Cedric, this is Minerva and she is going to stay with you until your response letter is written. She will be a good companion, for both of us._ Cedric knew owls were not omnivores and they preferred to catch their prey but he wanted to reward the bird for its valiant flight. Instead he stroked over its fine soft stomach with a curled finger in an affectionate way. He was certain Sofia did the same. He stroked over the wings too then went to reading the letter with enthusiasm.

Her hand writing was impeccable and her stationary was lined with the cutest little purple bows and flowers on the bottom. Just like his princess to pick the most adorable paper in the land. His eyes scanned the letter a million times until his eyes hurt and he felt like he needed to shut them but he didn't. He smiled in spite of himself and began to write the response back, so eager to hear from her again but then he stopped a little. It wasn't right to send the owl back and forth so much in one night. No he'd wait a bit; besides it was best to let the others write her back first and send them all out in one go. Instead he paused his writing and put the pen back where it belonged.

"So Minerva, is it? Are you and the princess getting along thus far?"

The bird seemed to understand and hooted softly in a pleased way. Cedric grinned and stroked the bird again. "I bet she's treating you with the upmost care, that little dear. Always was and will be so very good to all animals. I envy you somewhat, you get to be there with her but I'm happy you are. Someone can watch over her. I know you'll protect her, won't you girl?"

The owl hooted the same agreeing way, blinking slowly. "My mother sent you I'm sure but for once I'm glad she nosed into my business. I think I shall like having you here and I do hope you come to like my domain, as well as me."

He could not understand the owl but she had replied she already did like him very much. It was no wonder the princess was so hopelessly entranced with him, even the bird had to admit for a human he wasn't bad looking nor was he bad at heart. He was a gentleman to the core and from what she could see as he practiced his magic, she agreed with Sofia, he was one of the very best magicians in the land. Of course, it did help that he was related to Winifred the Wise, protector and lover of all owl kind, the very lady who had indeed sent her to watch over the princess. Somehow, in some way, she reminded her of a younger Winifred and in some way, Cedric reminded her of a younger Goodwin. She wondered to herself if they'd end up just the same way.


	4. Chapter 4

Days turned into weeks and through it all Sofia prevailed, course after course, all the while finding ways to avoid what was now her schoolyard bully. Rain had been very good in giving her tips but truly just ignoring her seemed the best option. However it was not the most Sofia option so after a month of running away she finally confronted her, asking her point blank why she was doing this and telling her as calmly and gently as she could there was no reason to be jealous. After all she was still a beautiful person regardless, nothing would change that. It didn't do anything, if anything she seemed madder. Sofia recalled how certain people she wrote to about this all had different opinions on what to do.

Her mother wanted her to avoid conflict if talking didn't work, her father wanted her to stand up for herself, and Amber was telling her to really stand up for herself, to fight back- totally ignoring she had acted similar once. James and Cedric, surprisingly, shared the same reaction, both threatening to show up and do something about it. James would have not been physical with a lady of course not but he was her big brother and a knight, he could at least make her back down just by looking mighty. He was very strong these days, muscular and fit, becoming the type of dashing prince the young princesses fainted over. If anything April would just throw away Geoffrey for James, though James was too stuck on Princess Zooey to leave her, especially for someone who wasn't nice. Cedric on the other hand...

He had no qualms casting negative spells on people, he even had more than one book on it. He also was incredibly imposing, with his height, his burning eyes, and his level of sorcery skill. There was something about him, particularly now that he had more respect, that really Sofia was just too trusting and gentle-hearted not to notice. How everyone ignored that aura he had that exuded black magic and a long time ago, deceitful ill intent, was anyone's guess. Sofia had to reply to both her brother and Cedric that she would be fine but was grateful to have such protective people in her life. Weeks passed and then weeks turned into months. The day of giving thanks was coming up fast but Sofia wasn't sure that it counted as a holiday she could take off, seeing as she missed the big Halloween ball back home.

She thought of the ghosts in her attic and how they would not be as down to party without her, especially Boo. Not much she could do, if it didn't count then it didn't count. She did enjoy herself here because Hallows eve was a big celebration amongst magic users, a time where the white mages gave treats and the dark mages gave tricks. There was pumpkin scent everywhere as well as pumpkin and cinnamon flavored everything. The décor was outstanding and full of ghoulish delight with candles floating in midair and haunting melodies playing. They had a costume contest and Sofia came in second place, April came in third and this only fumed her more.

She had enjoyed herself, dancing away, bobbing for apples, playing games like pin the hat on the witch, broom toss, and a strange game called six five nine which was like jacks only the jacks were enchanted. They also had a game of catch the black cat and whoever caught it won a big prize. It was all a lot of fun and she left from that night, full of sweets, plopping down for a restful sleep on her bed.

Minerva did not have a perch there in the dorm but seemed content with standing on the chair, or outside, or on the book case. Anywhere she could land and stand was fine for her but she did prefer the perches. However there was a nice hollow tree near Sofia's window she came to like just as much, going out every night from there to do her hunting. She refused to do it in front of the princess, her sentiments for all living creatures could not steel her stomach to it. The magician she visited didn't seem to mind and barely gave her a glance if she brought a small animal inside to eat, not that she liked doing that, it was so messy. When the day of giving thanks came to be Sofia anxiously awaited to see if this time she could go home with her family or if for some reason she had to stay here. Her head master pulled her aside and had a chat with her.

"Sofia you are an excellent student, so excellent we might bump you up to some advanced classes but for that we would need you to take a test in the current ones and if you pass then we can send you off. However these things take time and time away from us will slow that down. So if you go home now, that's fine, but then you'll have to miss Wassalia. Even if you don't go, there's a chance you'll miss it anyways. It happens a lot with our students that studies overtake their time away from their families."

Sofia felt distraught. Not see her family until...who knew when? Possibly next autumn when the next day of giving thanks rolled around? She'd already be missing her birthday, another Halloween, another fall festival, more summers away from the islands, more springs away from her garden, and lots more time away from her duties to the protectors and the library. It had not called her but she started to think it was because she was nowhere near it, though she didn't know if that's how it worked. If it did that meant there were a lot of stories that needed happy endings she just wasn't able to get to, who knows what was happening to them now? She became inconsolable for a while, unsure of this being a good decision after all. She had convinced herself it wouldn't be so bad as long as she could see them during holidays but so far, the only holidays that were allowed were major ones, like Wassalia. However these advanced classes would push her further up and she'd be spending less time here and then that meant she'd get to go home earlier.

How could she say no? How could she say yes? It was a dilemma for sure. At least she would visit them for giving thanks day, if she was to miss Wassalia either way she'd have to see them first and explain it to them. They'd be devastated and she'd understand. They probably already had her presents thought out, all prepared to fill her stocking and have her hang up ornaments with them. She placed her hands over her chest, trying not to let her heart become so heavy with sadness. Unlike Royal Prep or some other schools there was no winter break, their studies were just too complex, and it seemed there might not even be a spring break. She asked him about it and he told her that since they already took Wassalia and the eve off they didn't do winter break but spring break was something they did. She let out a huge sigh of relief. At least that was something.

But she'd miss her birthday so by the time she could get to them she'd be a whole year older and a whole year different. From thirteen to fourteen and they would not be there to see it. What choice did she have? Could she just tell them no but then spend more years here? It was usually three but if she did these classes she could be home before she was sixteen. The number sounded too big for her to pass by without her family. She took the offer, she liked it here but she wanted to go home. She hoped he kept his word and didn't spring up on her during literal spring to get her to stay over and do extra classes.

Even if it bumped her up again, she'd be literally not seeing her family until the next next fall and by then she'd be grazing by fifteen years old. She prayed and wished for a miracle, that she'd be able to see her loved ones again as soon as possible. The day of giving thanks came and Sofia was like a storm of leaves in the wind getting home to everyone, it had been months since she had even seen their faces, only hearing from them in letters. They had all been waiting for her there, dressed in their finest attire. Amber was in an orange dress with gold leaf printing, her mother looking stunning in a light green dress, all around her were the shades of fall. Sofia had dressed her best too, a simple but no less elegant ruffly red dress with pale yellow accents. Her shoes and waist held bows as did her hair. She hugged everyone so tightly it hurt with her parents holding her together. It was good to be home.

She helped set up the tables, picked out the food to go in the cornucopia, lit the candles, and assisted with the decorating. All the while off to the side she could see her royal sorcerer smiling at her as he waved his wand, producing the most beautiful autumn scenery that her eyes had ever seen. For her sake he made it rain leaves upon her causing her to giggle and hold out her hands, dancing in it. It did his heart good to hear her laughter fill the castle again. Minerva sat upon Cedric shoulder, nipping affectionately at his hair, causing him to let out a boyish laughter that amused Sofia to no end. Around Sofia everyone felt light as a feather. The air was sweet with the scent of apples and turkey, the colors were all gorgeous, the table setting was immaculate and festive, now all that was needed was for everyone to sit together and have a good time. While she waited for the chefs to cook, she went and found her animal friends, Whatnaught was not there as he was hibernating and Robin had to take care of her chicks but Mia and Clover were there with her rabbit nearly making her fall to the ground in a surprise tackle.

"SOFIA!"

"Clover! Oh I missed you all so very much!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "Have you all been getting treated well?"

"Yeah we get fed four meals a day and Amber gives pretty good belly scratches. James is a little too rough but that's fine. Baileywick just drops off the food if it's his turn, I think he might be allergic to rabbits because he was sneezing up a storm."

"Oh he's not he just has allergies during some seasons."

"Well anyways it's been pretty good. Actually we were a little nervous because Cedric doesn't like us but he's been really nice."

"He's always really nice," Sofia attested, smoothing out her dress that Clovers rambunctiousness had wrinkled. "At least you are all well. So what have you been up to?"

Sofia was given an update on all the happenings that she had missed out on and then she went to find Minimus who she took for a quick fly around the castle. He told her they let him out as often as they could but he was so used to her riding on his back that it felt funny without her. When he landed, she combed through his mane and talked with him for a while. She took a nice long walk around the castle, admiring the seasonal changes, kicking up the leaves that crunched under her feet. She waved to the gardener and to the stable boy, she waved to any maids she saw. It was a great day so far but she knew it wasn't going to last, she would have to tell them the news that would make this day bitter. For now she let herself and everyone enjoy the festivities, her news would wait.

All the protectors had missed her, she had called to them on her enchantlet, and they said things had been a little hectic but nothing they couldn't handle. However they were anxious to get her back on the team. Sofia felt the same. James found her to tell her the food was finally ready, of course it was him he had an appetite to rival Clover's. She excitedly followed behind him and when she saw the food, she stood in awe of all of it, prepared perfectly. Sofia couldn't wait to taste it all and it would somehow taste even better around good company. During the day of giving thanks everyone could sit at the table, even the lower servants, because that day was meant for all the things they were thankful for. Sofia's smile never left her face seeing all her favorite people there, digging in and enjoying the meal, all chatting with one another.

Sofia sipped her cranberry juice when a toast was made in her honor, making her turn a little cranberry colored herself. She thanked them none the less and clinked her glass with everyone's there. She wished it would never end, she wished it could stay like this, she wished she didn't have to ruin anything but she did. She would wait a bit longer, until all bellies were full and people content. James had over eaten to the point of nausea, splayed out very unroyally on the sofa, rubbing his stomach. Amber shook her head and sucked her teeth at him.

"I can't believe we are twins, we are not alike at all."

Sofia took her plate of pecan pie and dug into it, watching the wholesome scene of her mother and father cuddled together romantically while their teenaged children relaxed upon the sofa. Baileywick served coffee to any who wanted it as well as slices of pie or cake, there were many different varieties but Sofia was a classic kind of girl. A slice of apple or pecan with ice cream melted all over it was just dandy by her book. Baileywick was told to sit down and stop fussing over things, to just put his feet up and let his food digest. It was difficult for the steward to take such orders but they were from the highest in command, he couldn't disobey. He sat, a bit awkwardly, on the small chair and in the quiet charming scene he did a little crossword puzzle to occupy his time. He was fond of mind games, kept him on his toes and made his brains sharp as a needle.

Sometimes he liked to sew or knit in the winter, Sofia still wore a scarf he made for her decorated with snowflakes. Sofia liked to knit with him, her mother might even join in, and they'd have a little sewing circle. Violet and Suzette were talking with the chef and other servants, all nodding and having a general grand time to just be with their friends in some peace and quiet. As Sofia passed by them, she could hear they were discussing which years feast was the best. In the corner, more so to himself than anyone else, was Cedric, blowing on his coffee before drinking it. She joined by his side, sitting as close to him as she could, then pat her hand on the chair next to her. He sat there and stretched his legs on the ottoman, totally at ease. Minerva perched on top of the chair, preening herself, then inevitably, because it was morning and owls were night birds, fell asleep.

"Do you want some pie, Mr. Cedric? It's delicious."

"I've never tried it before but I suppose it won't kill me to indulge in sweet things."

Sofia took a piece on her fork and placed it near his mouth, causing him to look at her strangely, almost timidly. His eyes shifted to the king and queen as if he was doing something wrong then he took a bite and swallowed.

"Well?"

"It's nice enough I suppose..." He eyed her a little. Sofia would forever remain a mysterious young lady to him, the strangest he'd met. She was so altruistic, so ready to give her heart to anyone, so sensible yet daring. He could not wrap his head around her nor did he really want to. He enjoyed being surprised by whatever she did next but feeding him like that was odd, especially seeing as that's something Roland and Miranda were doing. He gave it no thought or at least tried to shove it off as one of those Sofia things, some urge in her she got that sprouted from her desire to be nice. The two were close companions to the point where silence between them was not awkward, they could enjoy each other's presence just fine.

The entire display before her was so tranquil, she felt there would be no right time to tell everyone without upsetting them. She finished off her pie and retreated to the kitchen to put her plate in the sink. She had to say it, she had to. There was no way she'd lie to them but they were all happy and expecting her to be there, most likely looking forward to it. She felt she'd be letting them down. '_They'd understand'_, she told herself, '_and they won't hold it against me_.' She took several breaths then gathered up her wits, going right over to her family. She cleared her throat loudly making everyone look towards her.

"I uh... I have something to say...but it's not good. My headmaster thinks I'm a great student, so much so that he wants to try and move me up a level but sadly...that would mean missing you all for Wassalia. I figured missing one to come home early and get a more advanced education was worth it so I took his offer."

For a moment everyone just stared her down making her feel nervous and she stood there taking their looks. They all seemed so disappointed but not angry or even too sad, her mother came up to her and held her gently, stroking over her back.

"This must have been a hard decision for you, Sofia, but it's your future and it's up to you to decide. Sometimes things have to be given up to achieve something even better. Whatever you chose, whatever you do, we will always love you and support you."

Sofia wiped her eyes off and hugged her mother back, trying to keep it all in. She was Sofia the brave and noble and just, she was not going to cry after all she had faced and been through. It was just a few more months, just a few more then come spring she'd see them again for a long time, two whole weeks. Then next Wassalia she'd be there for sure, no matter what, and with hope she'd be home before she was even fifteen or just before her fifteenth birthday. However her mother was right, it didn't matter what she did, even if it did take the full three years, she would always have them here for her, always there for her. She sat there in the middle of her family, being hugged by all and through the squeezing arms she peeked over to where Cedric had been sitting, hoping he'd give her one too. He wasn't there and Minerva still slept. Sofia's mouth turned into a frown, upset that he might have left to go be upset about this but then she felt his presence and smelled him then she saw him just out of the corner of her eye. He did not leave her, and with his eyes he told her he never would.

After all that the family did not let it get them downtrodden and played their usual games, board games and card games, everyone was included. The servants faced off against the royals for an even tie. Sofia didn't let the fact that she'd be leaving tomorrow as early as the carriage could possibly come let her become distraught. She was here now and she'd enjoy it. The day winded down and as usual Sofia was assisting with everything, including clean up despite the fact that there was already a lot of hands to do that with. She didn't mind it at all. Before bed she told everyone goodnight but also when she would be getting up and she wouldn't be upset if they couldn't manage it. None of them said they would miss her leaving, even James was winding up his alarm clock to show her how serious he was about sending her off.

Sofia slept well that night with full stomach and happy thoughts and despite everything awoke with a smile on her face. As it was before everyone was there for her, wishing her the best. With that she left in high spirits, bundled up for the cold weather ahead, and looking forward to expanding her horizons in more than one way. When she met up with her headmaster, he congratulated her on choosing to go forth with the advanced classes and then gave her the test that she had studied for day and night. She had just passed within a few inches, enough for them to bump her up to the harder course. Sofia was ready for the challenge, accepted it even, and grabbing her wand tightly she told herself she would not fail. As expected, the classes were difficult to say the least but Sofia was not daunted and being the studious girl that she was she took everything seriously, never once stopping her practicing. Jun did the same and often the two girls dueled each other or quizzed each other. With her four friends she would head to the court yards and practice their spells, brew their potions, conjure up and transform things until they felt sure they got it down. So engrossed in her studying Sofia didn't have time for April and her rude words.

She usually walked hurriedly past her, excusing herself while she had her face buried in books, murmuring spells. As the days passed Sofia kept up with her letters back and forth with everyone, it was always a joy when Minerva came back with a thick parcel for her. Sometimes in the envelope there would be little photographs or things, specifically Cedric liked to give her pressed flowers or bagged plants to use. One time Amber sent her a tube of glitter, to add sparkle to her life she said. Sofia liked glitter but it had not been jarred correctly and the glitter went literally everywhere in the room. It took weeks to clean it up. Sofia liked to receive the letters so much, hugging them to herself as if they were the person they belonged to. Amber sent gossip, James sent jokes and stories mostly, her parents gave her words of encouragement, her friends shared their excitement, but more often than not her sorcerer encompassed all of that and more.

Before Sofia even knew it, the months flew out the window like so many times Minerva had done so and she was looking forward to seeing her family again in the spring for two whole weeks. Passing through Wassalia without anything but letters and small sent gifts or money to get herself things, was not even enough. Her friends weren't even there because they all got to go to their homes, none of them had been bumped up save Jun who still got to go anyways, somehow. Sofia felt that then that there had been some terrible injustice but it turned out that Jun went for Wassalia only, she would not see her family until the next time over. Wassalia at the academy had its own splendor and there were mystery gifts, with these gifts came an unexpected surprise. She was to give a gift to April and it appeared April was to give a gift to her, she had overheard her complaining. April's gift to her was socks, which though plain and obviously given as some sort of mean spirited gift, Sofia appreciated and put them on immediately. April opened hers and looked at it. Sofia had made her a hand painted ornament with her name on it and decorated with sunflowers, which she was told were her favorites. April looked at it with a snooty face but Sofia knew she was holding in her true feelings.

She could tell by the glimmer in her eyes. Regardless, after that she was bullied a bit less. The winter snow melted revealing the new blossoms to arise and with it Sofia's smile grew until it felt it could not fit her face. She'd be going home for two long blissful weeks and every day she knew she'd be busy busy because so many people would want to hang out with her. She'd have to dedicate a whole day for each person and even then, she might be double booked. Sofia dawned a pale pink dress and grabbed her bags, hurriedly leaping back onto the carriage to go home again and this time for a much longer time. Minerva slept soundly in the carriage, the bird had been going from Enchancia to the school all this time and was often kept up during both morning and night. She was tired to say the least and Sofia let her sleep. Once the castle was in sight Sofia barely let the carriage hit the ground before she rushed out to meet everyone. Spring time in Enchancia was gorgeous and she was joyously enveloped in the scent of flowers everywhere. It was a bad time for Cedric because of his hay fever and allergies but he usually strayed away from the types of things that made him sneeze.

Actually it was one of the reasons he wasn't outside to greet her right now because today the pollen was especially bad but no matter, she would come up to see him in time. For now she needed to unpack and unwind. These two weeks were going to be hectic but fun. After she unpacked, she did her usual rounds, carrying Clover with her as she went from person to person saying her hellos and how do you dos. Amber was busy scheduling a girl's day with her, Clio, Hildegard, Ruby, Jade and of course Sofia but she talked her ear off about it all the while. Both of her parents wanted to spend daughter parent time with her. James was looking forward to having a dazzle ball tournament with her. Her protectors would probably be calling as well as the library and not to mention her thousands of other friends who demanded she visit them. On top of all that there was hearts and flowers day, the day for spreading love and Sofia had lots of people to give love to, and little gifts to show that. She was already wiping her brow and nothing had begun, it was just the thought of it all.

Since Amber's girl's day was not for a bit, she decided to get James out of the way and as soon as she changed she and he went toe to toe doing dazzle ball, James showing off his moves. Sofia caught the ball as it turned into a flying disc, landing so hard the grass made skid marks on her pants and a little dirt was on her cheek but she laughed, not caring about any of it. Rex barked happily, jumping around the two trying to get the ball too, thinking it was some type of fun game. Sofia was careful not to let him get it but also very careful to avoid Robin's nest of fully feathered chicks. Sofia leapt in the air and bounced the disc off a tree with her hip making it circle around James a little. He didn't even have time to catch it and Rex was the one who tried to but Sofia took it away from him. She helped her brother up.

"Whoa that was some move, Sof! Did you make that up?"

"Actually it's a move dad and Mr. Cedric made up when they were kids."

"Holy cow, I had no idea Cedric even went outside and played any sports at all! We should invite him next time...you know if he's up for it."

"Yeah that would be great maybe we could team up. You and dad versus me and Mr. Cedric! Amber can be the referee, she likes the stripes."

"Oh no let's not give her a whistle again."

Both the teens laughed, remembering their sister blowing the whistle and ordering everyone around. They continued playing for a little while until they got tired, and in need of a snack. The two had cucumber sandwiches with peanut butter to dip apples in. Sofia had agreed to go with James later on in the evening to pick up some things but until then she wanted to pay a special trip to her wizard. She didn't seem to notice or care that she was still dirty and her hair was a bit wet with sweat. She knocked on the door, teetering on her heels as she waited.

"Come in, my dear," The accented voice called followed by a light sneeze.

"Bless you," Sofia said as she opened the door. "Allergies getting you down, Mr. Cedric?"

"Oh nothing can get me down now that you are here."

Minerva was already on the perch but snoozing every now and then letting out a soft hoot. Sofia closed the door gently as to not wake up the bird and then fast walked to him, opening her arms to hold him. He accepted her hug, lifting her up a little.

"I missed you lot, Mr. Cedric but your letters helped."

"I could say the same thing. My goodness, Sofia. What happened to you? Your pants are torn and you have dirt on you. Did you have a nasty tumble?"

"Me and James were playing outside."

"Ah that makes sense then," Cedric replied, taking out a tissue and wiping her cheek clean. "There much better."

"James said he wants you and dad to play with us next time. What do you think?"

He kept his arm around her as she stood there looking at him with a never ending smile. It had not stopped since she got here. "I wouldn't mind, I guess. It might be a bit fun to win against the king."

"Oh so you think you'll win?" Sofia teased, poking his nose. "So much confidence."

"Of course I'm going to win. No doubt such an amazing, wonderful, dashing, strong, sensational sorcerer could lose."

Sofia chuckled at his hyperbole, nuzzling a bit under his chin. "Tomorrow I am going to have a girl's day but I think the day after I should be free. We can be together the whole day! I can show you all my magic!"

"I can't wait to see what my apprentice has learned!"

Sofia talked with him a little more then said goodbye to go with James. The two siblings had a good time walking along the roads, James going on about how enthralling knight training had been and how many different defensive moves he had learned. Sofia just listened to his rapture while the insects fluttered near the lamp lights as the night came on. He was talking about how he would be called Sir James the Brave, the best jouster in the land. He had high marks in that field and Sofia was pretty impressed.

"You know knights save a lot of fair maidens in the stories but Zooey isn't like that at all. If anything she would be riding on the dragons while I chased them."

"Oh? You talk about her a lot. Do you like her?"

James's cheeks turned pink and he scratched the back of his head. "Well... I mean she's so daring and brave, she's not afraid to step out of the line, and she speaks her mind. She's different from the others, it's no wonder she likes you. And have you seen her eyes? Like they are just...wow..."

"James since hearts and flowers day is coming up why don't you ask her to a date, something you both like? Perhaps you can take her on a magic carpet ride, I mean you do know someone who owns them or even show her a hidden cave full of pirate treasure."

"You know what...that's a brilliant idea! I'm so glad you're my sister!"

"And I'm glad you're my brother."

Sofia and James gathered up his supplies, mostly things for school and sporting equipment, and headed back home in the carriage that had dropped them off. She helped him put up the things and gave Rex a good scratch or two before kissing his wet nose. In return he licked her face and she laughed, wiping it off. Despite his shenanigans she would always love the loyal and protective dog. Sofia yawned and stretched, looking forward to tomorrow but today had her pooped between the working out and the walking she was ready for bed. Sofia left her window open to let in the breeze and slept on the window bed, all curled up, breathing in the smells of springtime that lulled her to sleep. She was still asleep when Amber burst in, early in the morning, drawing back the curtains and flooding the room with the dawns early light.

"Sofia wake up, rise and shine!"

Sofia opened one eye at her overly enthused sister, already dressed in a light button up cardigan and golden rod printed dress with high white sandals to match her ensemble. Her hands were on her hips with her mouth in a tight pout.

"I really wish you wouldn't sleep there. It's bad for your back."

"My back is fine, Amber. Why are you waking me up so early?" Sofia questioned, rubbing her eyes.

"Because, silly goose, we have so much to do today! We are going to the best royal spa ever and then we'll eat chocolate covered strawberries and finger sandwiches under the pavilion outside. I've already picked out a marvelous band to play some soft music for us while we have our little social. That's what it's called, you know, when you get older. No longer a tea party but a tea social. Much fancier sounding, don't you agree?"

Sofia lightly nodded, getting herself up. It was clear today belonged to Amber and she was not about to let any precious time slip by. Sofia readied herself, picking out a dress with layers of pastel coloring and little tulips printed on the bottom. Her sister told her to wear open toed shoes and so she did, the ones with a flower in the middle. Amber approved of the outfit though she still insisted she wear the swan tiara or the one with flowers bent into the metal. Sofia was fine with her ruby encrusted pink one, it was cherished by her and she would very rarely take it off. The girls quickly had a light breakfast then whizzed past everyone who was stumbling awake, Amber telling them she couldn't stay to chat because she had women things to do. Miranda told them to have fun but Roland was a little confused by what woman things even meant. Being village girls Ruby and Jade were already up doing morning chores when Amber arrived to get them. When they were ready, they headed over to pick up Hildegard and Clio, one of which, the Freezenburg princess to be precise, was still asleep with curlers in her hair. She was appalled that anyone had to see her like that.

The two princesses finally got ready after Hildegard took longer than even Amber to pick out an outfit then they all got into the roomy carriage and were on their way to the royal spa. Sofia had never been before and of course neither had her friends but they were told it was something ladies do, a mark of being a true woman of high society and though Ruby and Jade were not of that ilk they were Sofia's friends and Amber wouldn't let them go without looking their best. Amber checked them all in and gave a sharp look to anyone who judged Ruby or Jade for not being royalty, in her mind they had been so many times to the castle and such a big part of Sofia's life that they were honorary princesses. The first order of business was to get a get specialized facials and hair treatments.

Sofia chose the ones that had honey, rose petals, and sugar which in the end made her face and hair smell very sweet but she had to admit, odd as it was, her skin did feel softer and looked pinker from the scrubbing. With their hair drenched in natural oils, all set up, they went into a wooden room filled with steam called a sauna. Sofia had never been in something so strange but it wasn't unpleasant. The only one who wasn't used to such heat was Hildegard but she was starting to like how it felt. Their hair was washed, styled, and then it was time for polishing the nails. Ruby chose a red shade, Jade chose a light emerald shade, Hildegard chose a navy blue shade, Clio chose a hot pink shade, Amber chose what was called a French manicure, and Sofia got a pale violet shade. They all sat right next to each other as their feet got rubbed which for Sofia felt very ticklish but she was able to pay full attention to the gossiping of her sister and the girls.

"Well ladies, we all know what day is coming up. No need to ask Hildy who her secret admirer is," Amber winked at her pale friend who used one hand to place a fan over her face to cover the blushing. "Someone whose name begins with Z. Hmmmm?"

"Hush Amber," Hildegard warned though playfully as she fanned herself with fluttering motions, always one of if not the best at fan fluttering. "We don't need to discuss my love life."

"Ooooh it's love, is it? I didn't know it was so serious!"

"Are you kidding, Amber?" Clio chimed in while Ruby and Jade leaned closer to hear the juicy details, "She's head over heels for him but I'm happy for her. Zandar is such a sweet guy, he always brings her nice things from Tangu. For Wassalia he bought her a moon stone necklace."

"A moon stone? I heard those are very rare!" Jade exclaimed with an open mouth.

"They are," Hildegard haughtily replied with a smug smile, now showing off a little more of her face. She was still a little red in the cheeks. "But Zandar loves to spoil me and as he should, one day I might just be queen of Tangu."

"That's great, Hildegard," Sofia proclaimed, turning her head towards Clio whose brown ringlets were laying thickly against her shoulders. "What about you Clio?"

"Well actually me and Prince Khalid are starting to date. We love to do enchanted ice skating in the winter. He's really gotten the hang of it."

"An excellent choice for you, someone as artistic as you with him? Just perfect!" Amber squealed girlishly.

Ruby and Jade giggled a bit at her then with each other. "And here we were planning on spending that day with each other, you know as friends."

"Nothing wrong with going stag but are sure two attractive girls like you don't have someone special?"

Both the girls blushed at the candid compliment given to them by the eldest princess. Sofia wasn't exactly always there in their lives so she had no idea what kind of boys they liked if they liked any at all. She knew when they were young, they both had desperately been gaga for James, sometimes fighting over him which lead him to look at Sofia for help. Thankfully, for all parties, that infatuation ended but as to whom took his place she wasn't sure. Jade wearily was the first to answer.

"I um... really like this boy called Timothy. He always looks so strong when he pulls up the water from the well and he always has a sunny attitude."

"Oh that's the miller's son! He was always nice," Sofia recalled, delighted to hear Jade had picked someone like that. Now emboldened with Jade's confession Ruby went next.

"I like Jonah, he's a fisherman, and he always shares his catches with the village. Me and my mom enjoy the clam chowder his family sells at their shop."

"They all sound just right for you," Clio responded. Once that was out of the way everyone turned towards Sofia, even one of the people painting their toe nails slyly looked her way. She opened her eyes wide and pressed her lips together, nervously chuckling.

"W...what?"

"Oh come on! You know what we want to hear. Who is it you love or like?" Hildegard asked. "You have to spill it, Sofia, we all did."

"But I love everyone!" Sofia honestly replied to which most of her party looked at her with a flat face and a raised eyebrow.

"We mean...who do you have a crush on? Who is YOUR secret love?"

"What if...I don't have one...?" Sofia was not looking towards them and chewing on her lips in a way that told her observant sister that she was lying, given how little Sofia does that and how bad she is at it Amber could tell right away.

"I don't care if it's Hugo, you know. That ship has loooong since sailed. It's Axel all the way."

"It's not Hugo."

"Then it is someone," Ruby revealed, gasping a little. Sofia's cheeks turned scarlet having accidentally told everyone that there was a special someone. "We won't judge you Sofia, you like who you like."

Sofia knew for sure her village friends would never care who she liked but the royals...she was nervous about what they would say but Sofia did not like to lie or hide things. She would take whatever they had to say with an invisible suit of armor, protected from any harsh criticism.

"It's not a prince," Sofia confessed, looking for any change of emotion. Hildegard and Amber looked scandalized but Clio sat there with a passive look, smiling at her in the sweet way Clio always smiled. Clio was never one to judge anyone else and more open minded than her best friend. Just another thing they didn't agree on but that didn't mean they weren't close as could be.

"Not a prince?! But Sofia I... you...we...who is it then? Please tell me it isn't the stable boy!"

She shook her head no which relieved her sister but only slightly. "Then who?!"

"It's..." She took a deep breath in and out a few times, closed her eyes then opened them. "It's Mr. Cedric."

There was a silence, deafening silence that echoed through the spa and then all the sudden, rancorous laughter that split that silence in two. Sofia's cheeks burned as she watched them all laugh at her, all but Clio who had her lips pursed and eyes locked onto Sofia, seeing how upset she was. Little hot tears went down her face that she wiped off hurriedly but she would not leave off in a huff, she would take the brunt of this and stand for what she believed in. When their laughter reached a minimum, but still persisted, they revealed they weren't laughing at her, they didn't even believe her.

"Alright, Sofia, you really got us. That was a good joke!'" Amber claimed, trying to hold back her laughter but it came out in hisses.

Clio touched her hand gingerly making the laughter die down more. She pointed over at Sofia who was staring them down with brilliantly red cheeks and sadness in her eyes. Was the idea that ridiculous that it couldn't be true? Sofia's heart beat slow and sad while her eyebrows furrowed and her lips were pressed into a thin line. She cared very much for all those present and she couldn't be too mad at the rest but when her sister, the person she was supposed to confide in, the person whose secrets she still kept, laughed at her, it hurt worse than when Hugo nearly got her badly wounded in Flying Derby practice or when she was pushed off the enchanted swing into the fountain or even when she felt her mother might have loved Amber and James more. This hurt worse than all of that because all of that had been forgiven, apologized for, rectified, and were mostly foolish mistakes or bad decisions that the person felt truly bad for. This was somehow worse because Amber couldn't even believe her and Sofia knew why.

"I don't think it's a joke, Amber," Clio softly assumed to which everyone stopped laughing at looked at the young royal who looked betrayed and dismayed.

"I guess the idea was just too stupid to sound real... is that it? Is it so impossible to believe?"

"Sofia... it's just... you are a princess, a very young one at that, and he isn't even remotely royal in the least plus he's three times your age."

"Axel is eighteen, almost nineteen and you are going to be fifteen."

"That's a far cry from thirteen and over thirty and you know it. Plus, like I just said, he isn't even a knight or a duke. He's just a sorcerer, a royal sorcerer but still not at all royalty. He's practically family by this point but no one would consider him of higher status than the counts and lords. You have to understand to us," She gestured between Hildegard and herself, "It does sound impossible because we are taught and told to marry princes. None of us even considered going lower."

"He's a good man, Amber! He's done so much for me...for us!"

"And I'm grateful to him for that but he's also tried to take over the kingdom, let's not forget. He isn't perfect but that's not the point the point is while you are free to like who you like it can't go any further than that."

"Why not...? Why is it wrong to love?"

"Sofia it isn't wrong to love but...it just can't be more than feelings. You two can't be together because of what you two are and your ages would be looked at strangely too. I love you Sofia, you are the best little sister I could ask for, but I want to secure your future. Come, come here," Amber begged, now off of the chair and into her shoes, holding out her arms. Sofia went into them not caring if she messed up any of her nails. Soon all the girls surrounded her with a tight embrace, all of them felt her sorrow even if they didn't understand it themselves. There had been many times in the history of royalty that a person under the crown might want to be with someone much lower than her, it was a scandalous thing if the two had an affair but it did happen sometimes. It had to be a secret, if it was to happen, and nothing more.

"It doesn't make any sense! My mom was a shoe maker and my father is the king. Why was he allowed to be with her?"

"That's just how it is, unfortunately. Men and boys do tend to get what they want. I've dealt with that before, James getting away with things that I couldn't, even Clio's cousin who is much younger than her gets more advantages than she does."

"Well I think it's time to change it. I was not allowed to be in flying derby because I was a girl and now I'm one of the best players and day by day more girls want to try out. Hugo wanted to do ice skating even though he was a boy. Why can't we change things?"

"It's not for us to decide, Sofia, and those are smaller things. This is your entire future, the future of this kingdom too," Amber gingerly replied, stroking over Sofia's head in an almost maternal way. "You'll see it won't be so bad, you'll have lots of princes who will be fun loving, carefree, and kind and once those princes come you can choose one who will be your husband one day."

"Yeah," Hildegard interjected, patting her back lightly, "The suitors will be coming in droves for you, you are Enchancia's most eligible bachelorette right now and to be cordial you have to agree to at least talk to them. It wouldn't be fair to shoo them away after they had come so far for you."

Sofia laid her head on the cushioning of Amber's chest, feeling like a small helpless child going down a waterfall with no way out. All her life she had been the mistress of her fate, the decider of her destiny, the one holding the cards but now some other force had taken them from her and was doing things with her life Sofia would never choose. Hildegard had mentioned fairness but she didn't understand how unfair the whole situation was. It was unfair that Sofia, a peasant, could be princess in a day, but not chose who to love. It was unfair that no one had taken her seriously just because they were different in age and station. It was unfair that she would have to entertain prospective partners and pretend to be smitten with them in order to please the court. It was unfair her mother could be queen when she knew nothing about it. It was unfair that one marriage had stripped her away to her right of choice when it came to one of the biggest choices a woman could make.

She knew being a princess wouldn't be easy, that being a student wouldn't be easy, that her life wouldn't be easy, but she had expected that she could at least have freedom. It appeared not. It appeared that freedom cannot be purchased or wished for, it was not for a princess or a queen to have. The moment that crown slipped onto her head her freedom was taken from her and every step of the way every choice she made had gotten her closer and closer into this prison. She wouldn't change what happened, her mother was happy, and she had met so many wonderful people and did things she had only dreamed of. Now she could only dream, that was the best she could aspire to was a dream. Even her dreams were no longer hers to keep and no longer could she live them out. Now she was stuck here in her one way morpho mirror, staring at her biggest flight of fantasy, a dream that no amount of wishing her heart made would ever come true.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of that day with her sister and friends was passed fine enough, Sofia trying to brush off all the negative feelings she had in hopes of spending a good day with everyone. She didn't want to ruin things by being glum so she put on a semi-fake smile and ate her food, feeling the springtime breeze on her face. The food that was chosen to eat was so petite and bite sized that she scarcely felt full and shamelessly ate more chocolate dipped strawberries than she should have but she was still hungry. She had to get a snack later from the kitchen when no one was looking.

She wasn't sure how anyone was supposed to survive off of three finger sandwiches and a cup of tea especially someone like her who ran around all the time. Sofia made sure to see everyone off to their respective carriages, waving goodbye to them all, giving Hildegard a French cheek kiss, a curtsy to Clio and a big hug to her friends. Amber told her she had grown very fond of them and sometimes wished they really were princesses so they could see them more often. Sofia felt the same. Later on after everyone went home, she sat in her bedroom, stroking over a sleeping Clover listening to his snores as she looked outside. So much was going on inside her mind at the moment and while she had time to herself, she let it all sink in. She could confide to no one about this because it appeared no one would understand.

"What am I going to do?" She asked herself aloud, watching the horizon turn all the beautiful shades of sunset but today it gave her no comfort or brought her any awe.

Her sister had said some things that though seemingly cruel were just the truths of her world now. Beforehand she had been a free spirit, unshackled by all that being a royal demanded. Ruby and Jade were more accepting of her choice, despite everything, but that did little to make her feel much better. It wasn't even for sure to her if the rest accepted this, it was more they brushed it off and ignored it, pretending it didn't matter or that it wasn't something to fuss over. It was true, even she knew it, that Cedric was no prince charming. His cynicism, preference to being alone in dark corners, his sass, his sauciness, sharp tongue, dry sarcasm, tongue in cheek way of talking, and what he had done in the past were all enough proof of that.

Yet if she had wanted a prince charming at all she had lots of choices available to her. They just never connected with her, they always felt like good friends but he felt like something special, something in her heart and soul told her it was him. At least that's what she had always believed. Even when she first saw him, she thought he was quite comely with his quaint, charming accent, his bicolored hair, his deep honey eyes, and she found him enchanting in a way she could not place. From that day in the great hall and onward she made sure to keep him happy because she could feel his hidden unhappiness and wanted to make it go away like rain on a sunny afternoon. Trouble was now she was unhappy.

Sofia was stuck on a fork in the road leading down her duty and her heart. Everyone told her this was wrong and that it was just a crush, a silly little girlhood crush that would fade with time. She was only thirteen, she had not yet even become womanly yet while her sister became shapely and her hair tumbled down her back like a waterfall of wheat. It was no wonder she had not just Axel and Hugo but many boys fawning over her. Sofia looked at herself. She always found herself very pretty, she had a great smile and her eyes were nice, a shade lighter than her mothers, she had a round shaped face and shiny tan curls that were draping over her shoulders now. She saw her body, though, still small in the chest, almost not noticeable, and her hips were narrow. She had strong legs from years of running about but dainty hands and feet. She still had baby fat around her face making her cheeks chubby and her eyebrows were a little thicker than most.

She wondered how he saw her, if he saw her as the young apprentice he had trained for years, just a child, or if he saw her as a budding young lady, a real debutante. It didn't matter either way because it seemed everyone was pushing her in a direction she didn't want to go, away from him. They could still very well be friends and she'd like that, but something in her would always be tugging her towards him. What was the right choice, what was the right path? Sofia felt uncertain and uneasy even with the glow of the evening and the air hitting her face, smelling of leaves and flowers. A little light lavender leaf passed her face then a magenta one.

She had never seen such colorful leaves before, at least not here and she watched the swirl of vibrant leaves dance around her and perhaps the faint sound of a pan flute. Then she noticed something else, her amulet was glowing brightly but since she had not spoken any desire to change her form it must be a princess was being called. Sofia looked to her left watching the leaves swirl in a little tornado while strange golden sparkles joined the mix. All of the swirling came to a stop and they fell to the ground, disappearing but revealing whom her amulet had called. It was a tall woman with cocoa skin covered by tan handmade cloths and long flowing black hair, her almond shaped dark brown eyes stared stoically onward at the young girl on the bed. Sofia gaped at her, getting up to meet with the barefooted woman.

"Pocahontas?" Sofia questioned which made the woman smile. "What are you doing here? I don't think I need any help." Sofia was holding onto her necklace with a curious face.

"No, Sofia, you are mistaken. You do need my help, I could feel your pain from inside the amulet and it called me to you. You have a great burden to bear in your heart," Pocahontas deciphered, touching the small hands still grasping the pink gem around her neck. Sofia couldn't help but look at the blue one on the woman's own neck. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's complicated and I feel it really shouldn't be. You see I have feelings towards someone but they aren't of royal standing like I am and that person is much much older than me. Everyone tells me that it isn't right and that I should move on, that that's not what I'm meant for. I don't know...maybe they are right in some way...It does seem hopeless and I am so young, the chances of him feeling the same are very small even if I was a bit older. He still would see me as a companion, a dear one of course, but just like his niece."

Pocahontas put her pointer finger to her chin with a knowing smile forming on her full red lips. She took Sofia towards the window and told her to close her eyes and to close her ears to all the sounds around her, to isolate only one voice.

"Sofia you have to listen to your heart, it has always been true to you and has never steered you wrong. Listen with your heart, what does it say?"

Sofia did as she was told, ignoring the sounds of the crickets, the birds, the rushing water, the rabbit snoring on her bed, the footsteps, and everything else in the world. In her head she could hear the sea of doubts and words she was caught in but she was an excellent sailor, able to navigate through any storm no matter how rough. She guided her vessel towards a lonesome island where she could hear a loud, proud heart beat increasing as she dawned nearer. Holding an outstretched hand on the island, welcoming her ashore was Cedric. Sofia smiled to herself.

"I see Mr. Cedric. My heart tells me it belongs with him."

"Then you must not ignore that, for the heart speaks louder than anything else and it is the thing that is the most honest, it reveals what we want more than anything, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else. You know once I had the exact same problem as you do."

Sofia looked at her with her eyes wide open, listening to the words that were spoken to her from a wise sounding, strong voice. She continued,

"I was in love with a man named John Smith but our love was forbidden. You see his side, the settlers, was fighting my side, and my side was theirs. All lost in confusion, hatred, and misunderstanding. When he was taken by my people, I didn't know what to do or where to go. I wasn't sure where I was meant to be but my Grandmother Willow reminded me to not listen to the noise but to my heart and I saw then that my path lead to him. So you see even though it was the most difficult decision in my life and the odds were against us, in the end our love stopped a whole war. Our love prevailed even if it had seemed impossible, we just had to believe and fight for it."

Sofia took in all that she was hearing and let it wash upon her like a cooling refreshing wave instead of drowning her as the words before had done. Now afloat and on the shore she could think clearer. There were many great romances about forbidden love and though some ended up in tragedy it was because people refused to let them be together, ignorance and ego always got in the way. Though John and Pocahontas were close enough in age they were different enough to cause a stir, a ripple in the water, but that ripple grew as did their love and all could see it. Once they did the fighting stopped and everyone understood that it didn't matter about the color of their skin or their backgrounds, they were all equal and their love was true. Impossible, Sofia was the best at conquering things that were impossible, she always defied the odds and came out on top. This would be no different.

"You're absolutely right. It's my life, my heart, and my future and I will be the one to choose what path is best for me, no one else. I should have never doubted for an instance my own feelings or let anyone else's cloud my mind. Thank you so much Pocahontas." But when Sofia turned the native woman had vanished, leaving behind only the faint trail of floating leaves. Sofia felt confidence surge throughout herself and she knew she could do this, no matter what stood in her way she'd overcome it. Clover rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"What I miss?"

Sofia giggled at him. The next day she arose early and had pancakes for breakfast, covered in goldenberry syrup a favorite amongst all the teens at the table since they were children. James talked with his mouth full about what he was going to do today which was practicing his knighting skills, Queen Miranda nodded and talked about how today she was thinking of visiting the village square to see an old friend while Roland had kingly duties to attend to. Amber would stick close to him, learning all she had to know about how to properly govern a country. Miranda inquired what Sofia's plans were today but James interjected.

"What else? She's going to visit Cedric."

Sofia tried to hide her blushing cheeks which given how rosy her face tended to be was a bit easy for her. "How did you know?" She nervously shot Amber a glance, hoping she had not told anyone. Amber didn't look angered or frustrated, but she did look upset, a bit exhausted too.

"He's one of your favorite people in the castle, besides Baileywick and us of course. Plus he's the only one who isn't busy that you haven't made a day for. I'm sure you're going to show off your wickedly awesome new magic skills. Will you put on a show for us one day?"

"Sure," Sofia agreed, taking the last bite of her food but sat there talking it up with everyone, not wanting to seem overly anxious to get to her destination. After a while she decided it was alright but she did notice Amber looking at her suspiciously but also forlornly, shaking her head at her sister, not in disapproval though. '_Poor girl_,' she assumed to herself, '_she's going to get her heart broken. I should set her up with a date, let her meet some other more her age people, then maybe she will forget about all this_.' If Sofia could read minds, she would have told her not to do such a thing for her, especially when she already had so many people to already give attention to not to mention her duties but she could not read minds so she kept going. Cedric was stirring up a potion while he was absentmindedly conversing with Minerva, something he had gotten used to rather quickly and now enjoyed. It was nice to have a feathered friend who was actually on his side and for his motives, not malicious scheming behind his back. This was someone he could put all his faith and trust into and had more than proved to be a good sidekick, worthy of a sorcerer of his pedigree for sure.

"You know this isn't just any ordinary potion. It's special, I'm making something for a special person."

"Who?" The owl hooted, tilting her head.

Cedric chuckled. "Oh you know who. Sofia of course. I used to despise hearts and flowers day, all mushy and sentimental but she made that all change for me. I want to give her something she will absolutely love and be able to use. Want to know what it is?"

"Who who!" Minerva excitedly replied, hopping a little on the perch to show her enthusiasm.

"It's a rose and lavender scented perfume but it can also be used to put on her pillows at night or in the bath. Do you think she'd like that? I mean everyone and their actual mother will be giving her chocolates and flowers, I thought she might like something a bit more luxurious. She's Enchancia's most darling princess, she deserves something as fine as she is."

"Who hoot!"

"Glad you agree, Minerva!"

A little knock on the door made him pause. He knew that knock very well but he didn't want to open the door and ruin the surprise. Thankfully it was already done and he was able to bottle it then hide it away without her ever knowing. He invited her in and she wasted no time heading inside, her smile all teeth through very pale pink lips. She seemed like she had a restful sleep and was bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready for this day. Sofia reached her arm out and Minerva flew to it, landing swiftly and nuzzling into Sofia's hair causing her to laugh lightly at the tickle of the feathers. She stroked the top of her head and then walked over to her chair, sitting down upon it.

"How was your day yesterday? Had fun doing girly things?" He waved his fingers around exaggeratedly as he spoke.

"Oh um it was...different. I enjoyed myself for the most part. I've never had my nails painted," She honestly replied, showing off her newly acquired purple nails. "I also really liked the chocolate covered strawberries. I think I could eat a whole bunch of those."

"It's nice to know you're having a good time. After all that studying and hard work you deserve it."

"Would you like a demonstration of what I've learned?"

"Oh but of course," He replied, pulling up a chair. "Alright I'm ready. Dazzle me."

Sofia nodded her head and let Minerva fly back to her post before removing her wand. She thought about which spell she would like to cast then concentrated on it, remembering not only her lessons at the Academy but also here. She held out her wand and flicked it with confidence, adding a loopy motion just to be a little showy, he did ask her to dazzle him. She recited her spell precisely and slowly.

"Auriealis Chandelei!"

From the tip of her wand shot a beam of silver light that turned into several dangling diamond prisms up above, catching the light so it made rainbows appear through it. It was supposed to mimic the northern lights she had heard so much about and though the effect was pretty she knew nothing could compare to the real deal. Cedric looked upon the display with pride at what she had accomplished, looking at her as the fractured colored lights painted over her face. She smiled at him, her blue eyes now looking purple but glowing all the same, holding his gaze intently.

"You are a top class apprentice, Sofia, and I couldn't be more proud of you. Very well done."

"Thank you! It's a bit complex to pronounce but after a while I got the hang of it fine. It's a pretty advanced spell," Sofia claimed, proud of herself as well with her hands on her hips.

"I knew you'd do great things. After all you were MY pupil."

"That's right, the pupil to the best sorcerer in any land here or far!" Sofia opened her arms to show off the size of the world but also her joy. She was in a very good mood today, feeling perky and peppy and seeing his beaming face only accelerated that.

Cedric's grin matched hers, he was exuding an unmistakable aura of pride right now that she was feeding. She always boosted him up, made him feel special and important, and had him believing he truly was as she saw him. A long time ago he had said he wouldn't know what to do without her, meaning it will ill-intent, but now he had realized he meant it. Without her he'd not be this happy-go-lucky, bouncy, warm spirited, loving person he was now nor would he have such high magic skill. When he believed in himself, he felt he could do anything, she made him feel that anything was possible. They spent their time doing magic together, casually chatting away, she would alphabetize and organize his things, dust his tower, help water the begonias, and share a small meal. She was digging into a bowl of assorted dried fruits and nuts all the while stealing a glance or two at Cedric who was letting Minerva out to go hunting.

"So Mr. Cedric, got any plans for hearts and flowers day?"

"Oh no, you know I never do, dear. I'm a solitary type of man for the most part and I don't expect any visitors. Why?"

"Well I um... you see I thought maybe you and I could have a picnic in the secret garden. It would look so beautiful this time of year with all the butterflies and humming birds. I mean if you aren't busy...it might be nice," Sofia stumbled out sort of quickly, turning shy and biting her lip a lot. It was never ever difficult to talk to him but this was something entirely different.

He looked at her noticing her shyness and her blush and thought about her proposition. He never thought twice about being with her in a casual sense, just the two of them having a nice time together, enjoying the company of a longtime friend and cherished person. Even now he didn't mind her being in his tower all by herself, he preferred no other company but hers though he supposed he could stand his family some. He would normally think nothing of going on an outing with her even to some secluded glade but it was that day and the way she was acting. It was almost like she was a tittering enamored girl talking to some young prince, not a close friend asking another to hang out. She was never so bashful about anything, especially with him. She was always someone who never let herself be mute for any reason and was honest too. It couldn't be that...perhaps Sofia liked him a little more than he had fathomed?

"A...are you asking me out on a date...?"

"Oh well um don't think of it like that I mean it's just us, eating, talking, looking at the scenery."

He noticed how jittery she was but she attempted to keep eye contact, forcing her pupils to stick to his even though she'd glance down every now and then. "You don't have any other prior engagements? You don't have to do this because you feel bad for me or something. I'm content with just receiving a gift."

"No nobody has asked me to do anything or go anywhere and I WANT to do this, with you. Not out of pity I just think it would be nice. I'm okay if you don't want to...if you prefer to be alone, I'd respect that."

Her melancholy was not ignored, he could hear her disappointment. She truly did want to do this with him of all people. A day where given that this was Sofia, she could have chosen anyone to spend it with since so many loved her and she chose him. What flabbergasted him more than that was the fact that nobody had asked her on a date. It baffled him. She was a purple orchid blossoming into womanhood, the mind of a leader, the heart of a child, a spirit of both fire and water. She was sought out by everyone, at least he assumed so. In fact he was certain he'd just barely have time enough to give her his gift because of all the princes she'd be entertaining.

She was an unusual sort, for sure, not like her sister who even he knew snuck in boys at all hours of the day then weeded them out until she found Mr. right, her future king. Her expectations were high, Sofia only expected affection, devotion, and honesty. Even given all of that information it was still weird that she had not even taken one of her many friends or none of them asked her. Was she someone so rejected that she had no choice but him? He shook that off the moment it entered his head. No one dare reject Sofia and if anyone did, they'd have to face his wrath for upsetting her.

Then there was the obvious pointing right in his face option; that she had some type of affection for him outside the norm, that she really liked him. He had no clue what it was about him that would even remotely attract a woman or even a young lady such as her. He was no looker despite his arrogant mouth saying he was, he was lanky nearly bony, he always had dust on his robes, he had a standard humble upbringing with no title to own, and to top it all off he was old enough to be her father. As of now he was in his late 30's, almost 40, still a bit younger than her father actually but in the 30's nonetheless.

There was a massive 20 year gap between them or more yet he could not deny it, she must have a little crush on him or something. He was almost flattered by the suggestion, no one ever had a crush on him, no one ever thought him handsome or worth their time. He barely ever dated and though had intimate experiences he could only count on half of his hand how many times that was in his whole life. He had heard of such things, girls and boys have such admiration for their teachers or role models that they develop feelings. Given how much time they spent together, how much she gushed over him, how quickly she forgave him, how much she stood up for him, how sweet she was to him, how majestic he seemed in her eyes, he really should have seen this coming.

Now with the thought in his head circling around he wasn't sure what to do with it other than wait and see what would come of it, if it would vanish as she grew older or even if she admitted it to him. If it did continue what then? She'd have suitors no doubt by the next year, at latest her fifteenth, Amber started picking some out even at twelve and even the king himself got married to his first wife so young Cedric was still a teenager. They lived in a time where Sofia could have been married off, if Roland was like this at all, to any of high social status from ten years old. There were a lot of kingdoms that still practiced betrothal before birth, though this kingdom didn't do it so much, the royal offspring were allowed a lot more freedom.

If she got older and she still felt this way he didn't know what to do. It would ruin her future and he didn't need the king breathing down his back yet again, maybe even claiming he might have influenced her in some way. He trusted the man after how much he had risked but that meant all of nothing if he did one thing wrong or what was seen as wrong. He didn't want to ask her, he didn't want to reveal he was just assuming and have her be somewhat offended though that wasn't like her at all. He didn't have much choice but to wait it out.

Though he never did say he wanted her feelings to disappear from him, nor did he like the idea of some pompous palace prince taking her away from him, treating her however he pleased, making her become a demure lady fanning herself and wearing heels far too high. He always did what was best for him at first, selfishly caring about number one only. Now he had her and she mattered more than anything, even more than the king and queen. He had to do right by her and what was best for her, he owed her that and more for his dastardly deeds and splitting her heart. He now had a problem with that, a singular question with no clear answer, what WAS doing right by Sofia in this case?


	6. Chapter 6

He had said yes. Cedric only gave it a few moments thought before he decided they would have their little picnic. Now that he had and she had left for bed he wondered if it was his smartest decision. He didn't want to string her along but he wasn't, was he? He was just going to have a nice time with her, he wasn't doing anything cruel by doing so. Still he wasn't sure of himself or of her. She had always been a touchy feely person, always hugging him, and that day was meant for affection. He had no clue what she might do given that they would be all alone in a closed off area. Not only that but since everyone else would be off on their romantic escapades there would be no interruptions, just the two in the silence of the afternoon. He was a bit worried for her sake and truthfully his own. She obviously liked him but now he was seeing clear as day that she liked him more than normal. He didn't want to hurt her feelings and tell her that it couldn't be.

She was a princess; a young, virtuous, virginal, sweet, powerful princess and he was a cremudigy old wizard who had a bad track record. It was unheard of for a royal to get with one like him, especially given the large age gap. The other problem was Sofia was growing each day and one day he'd turn to see her enter his tower and she'd no longer look like a girl, she'd be a woman. A beautiful one at that, one could tell by looking at her and her mother. What was he to do with an affectionate, doting, loyal, kind hearted, warm, beautiful woman who still might have feelings for him? He told himself he'd not do anything but he wasn't sure of himself and that bothered him so much that he was pacing around almost tearing his hair out. He did love Sofia, everyone knew that he did, perhaps even loved her since she first became his apprentice but romantically love her?

Of course not. Searching inside himself he could very well imagine that he too might grow fonder of her, clingy with her, needy for her, he'd suffer an unmendable loss if she left his side. His heart would ache and his soul would cry and he thought himself pathetic for feeling such things over her of all people. Sofia had given him everything he had ever wanted and more- attention, devotion, praise, love, endless hugs, companionship. He dare not even ask for more than that and he never would because there wasn't any point anyways. She was unreachable to him. He would take her as his friend and hope and pray to all things that this might go away because everything about it frightened him to death.

He had said yes! Sofia couldn't get over how gleeful she was that he had agreed. She imagined it with a dreamy expression, a whole day of being alone with him outside in the fresh air, watching the clouds go by. She couldn't contain herself, she landed on her bed and tossed her limbs in the air, flailing them about with girlish delight.

"Whoa, what's got you so hyped up?" Clover asked as he scratched behind his ear.

"Oh Clover, it's going to be ah-mazing, me and Mr. Cedric will be together on hearts and flowers day. I have everything all planned out and I know just what to get him."

"Don't you always hang out? Why is that day special?"

"It just is," Sofia explained without really explaining anything, taking out some colored paper and supplies. "I'm going to get started on making cards for everyone. I've got a lot of people to cover so this will take a while."

Clover didn't understand what made her so happy but he was glad to see her smile just the same. Each day passed and though she was busy as busy could be it seemed to pass so slow because she was waiting for that day to come at last. Of course she was loving every second of every day with all those around her, enjoying everything she did. For starters she was taken by Orion and Vega on a flight to the island where all winged human like beings came from, including themselves. Sofia had flown on top of things all her princess life but never had she been held up and allowed to soar across the sky like an eagle.

It was a breathtaking experience, she got to breathe in the fresh air, fly into clouds, feel mist on her face, and stare down upon a world of beauty with her arms outstretched. At one point they flew behind a waterfall and Sofia reached out her hand, splashing across the waterfall. Sofia had wings herself whenever she wished to be a fairy or even a dragon but never went so high or so far. Most would be frightened of falling but Sofia felt safe, she felt liberated, she felt high in spirit. There was truly nothing like adventuring to get the heart pumping in the best way. After her flight she met the winged humanoids including more harpies and even some type of cat person who had wings.

Sofia could not describe her without using the word slinky, she seemed to move slowly and with such grace and power, very much like a predatory cat sneaking through the wilds. Her voice sounded ancient and wise but still effeminate and her eyelashes curled at the ends. She wore such heavy gold jewels and spoke in rhyme, often asking riddles. It was a sphinx thing, she was told. The sphinx's name was Sekhmet, a name a bit difficult to pronounce, and she usually lived around the Khaldun area, guarding her temple. There were many others like pantherines, chimeras, swan people, and some with the colorful wings like a parrot. Their island was connected to the angel island but most people had a hard time seeing them without special glasses because their glow was so bright it would blind you. Sofia even got to briefly see Cupid flitting through the sky fast as a humming bird. It was going to soon be a very busy time for him and he had no time to say hello, though he did briefly wave.

After her wonderings she did have a minor duty to perform, at least by her standards, which was to collect some objects one of which was mermaid scales and another one was a single tear of a giant. Easy things for Sofia to find. On another day she had a full morning to afternoon with her mother, going with her to the village. Miranda still supported the small local areas more so than the fancy high end things because though artisan bread was nice, nothing beat warm handmade bread filled with love. Sofia didn't like the expression but she killed two birds with one stone, getting to be with Ruby and Jade as her mother visited their mothers. Miranda was a well-respected and beloved queen because she was not high enough on her horse to not come down off it, she remembered well where she came from and always made time to drop in on friends. Sofia was the same. Helen, Ruby's mom, was still leader of the buttercups but as most of the kids had grown out of it, she was now leading new ones with the help of Ruby at her side. Jade's mother, Alexandra, was a clock maker and her husband an inventor this influenced their daughter to be pretty handy.

Meeting with them again was a wonderful time and they all had lunch together, Sofia drinking fresh cow milk which was sweeter than normal thanks to the kind of grass they ate. A simple peasant lunch was always going to be best to her, nothing too fancy or frilly. Palace food was superb but there was something about the meals here that would always have her craving more. Melted cheese on bread, smoked sausages from the butcher, and soup made from fresh ingredients. Sofia didn't need to have royal manners here, she used her hands on the bowl to tip the soup into her mouth, not one of five spoons. After lunch they all had pastries then Sofia played jump rope with her friends for a little while the adults talked. Miranda and the two had coffee and slices of crumble cake while they chatted, keeping an eye on their young ones.

"They are growing up so fast," Alexandra remarked, looking at Jade whose hair was longer and pulled back with a bluish headband. "Yet they still play their childhood games, just like we did."

"I know, it's just too quick. You snap your fingers and your little girl is a little woman, and you're soon having the birds and bees talk with them. I've already told Ruby. Miranda have you told Sofia about all that?"

Miranda watched her daughter, laughing away with her friends by her side. It wasn't easy to see all her children become older because she'd have to let them go at some point but the hardest to let go was Sofia. She still remained the same, still the bright eyed girl she had held in her arms as they had slept together every night. Amber and James grew distant but Sofia still stayed near, kept herself humble and simple, full of bravery but smart enough to know when something was foolish.

"No I haven't yet but I should. She goes to a school with boys there and if she's not prepared, she might get herself in some trouble even she doesn't know how to get out of."

Helen pat Miranda's hand with a warm smile. "You're a busy lady, it's understandable if you haven't told her yet."

"But still I'd get on it... I caught my Jade holding a boy's hand and nearly went over to disrupt it but I remembered my own mother doing the same thing and how embarrassed I was. I just couldn't do that to her but I warned her to be careful."

"Ruby is always sighing over the fisherman's son, she blushes around him when his father comes to drop off the packages of fish we order. I don't think she knows I know. Even when she was four, she liked him. Does Sofia like any princes?"

"Oh!" Miranda piped up, surprised by the question. "She tells me everything and she has never spoke once about any prince. She's got a lot on her plate, she's probably going to save the dating scene till after school."

"So no crushes then?" Alexandra questioned with slightly narrowed eyes as if she was suspicious.

"Hmm...well...this is going to sound silly...but I think she might have a girlhood crush on our royal sorcerer. I'm not sure but I just get that feeling and a mother's intuition is never wrong."

"Isn't he thirty five or something? What's a young girl like that liking an old man like him?"

"Well Helen maybe you don't remember that you used to have a big crush on our school teacher, Mr. Borshak. You used to say, 'one day I'll marry that man.'"

Helen blushed a little and laughed, they all did. After they talked some more the girls were called in and they said goodbye, giving hugs and going off. Little did Miranda know Sofia was having the same conversation with her friends, who wanted to hear an update on the secret love they called it. Sofia told them about her, she called it outing to be proper and not be scandalized but she still was. So when they said good luck with a wink only the three girls understood what that meant. Sofia spent the rest of the afternoon sewing with her mother, making a little blanket for Clovers bed to keep him warm in the winter. He couldn't keep sleeping in her bed because Sofia didn't like it to be covered in rabbit fluff.

A couple days after it was time to be with her father and they went hiking and bird watching, one of his favorite things to do. They found a phoenix and Sofia stayed quiet as she watched it, amazed by the brilliant red color of its flaming wings. It was majestic, even its cawing was, and Sofia was mesmerized as she watched it fly off. The two went fishing, berry picking, and trailing while singing merrily amongst themselves, loudly enough to echo across the mountains. They set up camp close enough to the castle so if anything happened it was a short distance away but far enough to still be wilderness. Sofia and Roland roasted their fish over the fire and told spooky campfire tales after which they had some pudding, the kind Roland so loved, and topped with the berries it made it even better. They slept under the stars, or at least Sofia did Roland slept in the big tent but checked up on her just in case. He was worried about her being outside but she slept soundly to the tune of the cricket's music.

The library gave her a mission to do and that occupied most of her day and by the time she came home she was so tired she skipped dinner, she just plopped on her bed, still in the same clothes, and went right to sleep. In the morning she was starving and ate a big breakfast. She visited Lucinda and her mother at their house, and the two had a spell off to see who the best at conjuring was. It was a decently even tie with Lucinda only scrapping by being on top. Sofia found witch food interesting and sometimes bizarre but it was always tasty none the less. Ghost toast was really just toast with white butter and the pumpkin squash was nothing like a pumpkin or a squash. The desert was licorice wands and chocolate dipped pretzel rods to mimic broom sticks. All in all a fine day. There wasn't a single day that wasn't wonderful but when hearts and flowers day came about, she nearly leapt out the bed in excitement. She had breakfast with everyone, lots of strawberries and edible flowers decorated the plates. Everyone would be off doing their events so Sofia made sure to give them their little gifts before then.

To James she gave a special card that when it was opened it had a little canon that spouted out confetti hearts. Needless to say the floor was constantly being swept because he kept opening it. She also gave him a big box of sweets, much to his pleasure. Her mother got a card too, something sweet but nothing extravagant and filled with words of love. To each of her parents she gave hugs and kisses and to her father she gave a pin with the royal crest on it which he wore proudly. To her sister she gave a tiara, what else could Amber possibly want? It was golden and had a big red heart in the middle. She squealed in delight and immediately put it on while she read her card, tearing up a bit. Baileywick loved flowers and tea so she gave him a chamomile tea and some fresh cut blue bells, one of his favorites. Everyone got something special as well as lots of hugs and cards all hand made by the little princess. Not a single servant was without one and the rest had been shipped to their respective owners.

Sofia got gifts too mostly trinkets, sparkly things, candies of all sorts, the normal things. She appreciated any and everything she got. Even her animal friends got her something, each donating a flower or shiny object they had found and Clover gave her the biggest carrot he could find. She still shared it with him which made them both happy. She was not yet in her outfit, her special outfit she would wear because she knew where she had to go would get it dirty so she wore something casual. She made her way to the troll caves, finding her troll friends easily enough. Now Chief Knuckles had stepped down off his chair and appointed Gnarly as the new leader which he seemed to be taking well enough. She greeted the new chief and the old one with as much as a bow as she could manage given the low ceilings then she hugged them. Grotta still lived in the caves and today she was sitting on the edge of the armchair where Chief Gnarly was sitting, waving her tiny hand at Sofia. She had since their first encounter never again turned anyone into a salamander. Now she was just a trusted member of their clan and even changed her dress to green to reflect their skin color. Teeny was no longer so teeny but that was her name so that's what she was called.

Teeny in her purple dress with pink bow came running to Sofia, hugging onto her hard as she said hello. Sofia was glad to see them all and sat down as she told them what she was here for. They listened to her and agreed that her request was fair, after all she had saved them more than once and allowed them back to the surface world. So they gave up one of their precious ceiling stars to her, she was an honorary troll by their book so she deserved one and would not ask for another even though she was giving this one away. She knew Cedric could make one easily enough but it would be fake and not have importance, this was like an heirloom, a commodity amongst troll kind. Plus hers glinted a little lavender color. She stayed with them for a while because it would be rude to ask for something then leave but while she was dancing around and banging clubs, having a good time, someone else was coming to make things a bad time for all.

At the moment Cedric was putting the finishing touches on the bottle for Sofia, making the label as neat as he could and putting a small bow around it. He was not good with words and not extremely creative so he didn't make her a card or anything, though he was starting to feel like he should for he knew without actually knowing she would give him one. He just thought she'd be swamped with cards and they write all the time anyways. Plus he had more than one gift for her, he was going to make it rain rose petals like the first day she came to the palace and he could easily enchant the flowers in the garden to sing for her or something like that. He could really give her anything she wanted if she asked. Minerva was fluffing up her feathers a bit as she started to go to sleep but was amused by her current master and his pacing. He always did that whenever Sofia was concerned.

She made him nervous it seemed, at least her growing form and potential feelings seemed to. Minerva would wait and see, like him, how this would pan out. Hopefully it would be for the good. After a bit she decided to fly off and go sleep in tree, it was a little too bright for her. Cedric dusted himself off and looked at himself, fussing over his hair a bit and then stopped himself as he did so. He stared at himself in the mirror a bit, wondering what he was doing. Why was he trying to look presentable for her? She never cared how he looked. He started fidgeting and it felt like the butterflies from the garden had entered his stomach. Sofia or not, thirteen or not, he had never really had a date, not really. He couldn't help calling it that given the day it was and to have someone like him- that was so rare he couldn't think of an instance. No one liked him like that, not a soul, and yet this pretty princess found him attractive in some way. Even if it was just his inside and not his outside it was more than anyone ever did.

It scared him, she scared him. He didn't know what to do with her feelings, how to approach them, how this day would even go. She was only twelve a year ago and he'd known her since childhood, it would be strange to pursue anything further than companionship with her. She could very well have a liking for him, he was honored really, but he could never to her for many reasons. It wasn't necessarily illegal, their age gap, seeing as in some other countries girls younger than she married men older than he, but Enchancian rules were a bit different and he was no king nor prince. He wouldn't want to be anything but what he was because what he was impressed her and delighted her and though he served the king to live he lived to serve her.

As much as he liked Roland these days and did in boyhood, as loyal as he was to him, and though they were good friends he was like a pond, Sofia was the ocean. He loved Sofia for all she had done for him, given him, he did not deserve her kindness, her respect, her admiration and certainly did not deserve her unconditional love nor did he deserve anything more. He had been a wretched wizard, even now in the darkest hours of his mind, he'd think he deserved to still be in that jail cell for the betrayal to the crown was nothing in comparison to his betrayal to her, even she said so. She had told him, in so many words, that she was less mad at him for taking over the kingdom and more mad at him for denying their friendship. It was cruel and wrong of him to lie to her face like that and the ever so mature and intelligent girl could see past her own nose. She knew he was lying, she knew her Mr. Cedric still was her friend, she knew he still cared and she knew he would never hurt her. That day, that day he wished he could erase, he had gotten so close to actually doing so. He still had nightmares about what if he had accidentally misfired and shot her. Sometimes he had to go to her room in the lateness of the night to make sure she was still okay and when he saw her sleeping with a content smile, he wore one too. Everything was alright.

Sofia was forgiving and kind-hearted to him even after that. She had brought light into his darkness and now she sought to bring him more. She was young, it was true, but she spoke and thought past her age, she did things most adults could not handle. She was strong in spirit, able to fight off any enemy with her wit and skill, able to make an embittered old icicle like him melt. Sofia was the springtime to his winter, it was fitting that she was here during that season the longest. Still as much as he liked her, he could not bring himself to ever seek her out and be hers. He was her sorcerer, faithful and courageous, but nothing more. The thought that she wanted him to be more, that she desired him, liked him, loved him it was what frightened him... that and the what ifs. She would get older and she would grow from pretty to lovely within a couple of years. If surrounded with her beauty and her charm and her affection all in one...he wasn't sure what he'd do.

It certainly didn't help that he was most fond of brunettes. He sat himself down, aggravated at everything and trying not to be. He didn't want to somehow ruin this for her, the girl had been planning for a while, and it took all her courage to ask him. Her heart must have been racing faster than the flying horse she always flew on. He hoped, though, that she'd keep this civil. This was just two friends eating and talking. Nothing more. He was hoping she wouldn't try anything, like confessing. He didn't think he'd have the heart to break hers again. But what then? He stood up and started pacing again. Why couldn't he have just lied a little and said he was busy so that they could skip this? What was she thinking? She had so many young good looking princes to choose from and she chose to like him of all people. Him! Did she not realize who he was? What she was getting herself into? She must be crazy or blind or something.

It made his pride swell to know a girl thought he was attractive but as soon as it swelled it went into his stomach and he felt sick. Cedric ran his fingers through his bangs breathing unevenly, staring now at the wand case he had which his wand was sitting in. Why did it have to be Sofia? Why couldn't some other person like him, someone he could dismiss and feel nothing for? Another voice chimed in and had been this whole time, barely audible every time except now. "What are you scared of?" it asked. He couldn't answer it, he couldn't even though he knew the answer. If he answered it, he'd make himself worse off than he was now. No, it was best to block everything out and focus on having a good time and hope that this blew over. She deserved a man who would treat her right, who could appreciate her, who could be okay with her always going off on her journeys, who would not make her into a subservient house wife. She deserved anyone else but him and he deserved anyone else but her.

At that moment he heard a knock on his door but it certainly wasn't hers nor did it sound like anyone else's knock because it was tapped in a strange rhythm, four knocks slightly fast. If it was any of the royals, they'd let themselves in and not even knock, if it was Baileywick his knocks were always short and firm. Curious about who could be visiting him when he expected no one he got up and answered the door. On the other side stood someone that made his jaw drop though not in a good way and his eyebrows furrowed. It was a woman, a sorceress to be exact, with long black hair and a red scarf draped over her tight dark dress. Morgana. He was about to slam the door in her face or worse when she pushed it open so hard, he almost fell over. She then invited herself in like this was her home, filing her nails and looking around somewhat amused by everything.

"Only one mirror, how depressing," She remarked, checking herself out. She started to apply her lipstick, barely caring about anything else but herself. "Actually your whole tower is depressing."

"Get out! Now! You are not welcome here or anywhere near this castle!"

"That's no way to talk to an old friend."

"You are not my friend," He shot back, eyes like daggers at her.

"Hm. How soon they forget. Do you want to act like you didn't join up with us to take over the kingdoms?" Morgana asked him slyly, sitting on Sofia's chair without knowing it was her chair, smugly smiling.

"I've put that behind me. I'm no longer the man I was nor the sorcerer I was. I only use my magic for good so if you are here to attempt to recruit me, count me out."

She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "Once a bad wizard always a bad wizard, there's no going back from years of scheming."

"I beg to differ. Now remove yourself from my sight before I remove you myself," He warned, raising his wand from the case and pointing it at her. He looked serious, she could tell, and he was hating her more every second she stood there.

"What are you going to do, pull a rabbit out of your hat? You are no more than the king's fool, another court jester for him. Don't you want to leave all that behind?"

As they were arguing over ethics Sofia was excitedly packing the food and then left it in the kitchen fridge to grab on her way out. Everything was ready, everything was perfect. She took her card and laid it on top of the box containing the cave crystal then nearly bounced on her tip toes the whole way up the long flight of dimly lit stairs to the tower. Morgana was still there, trying to seemingly convince Cedric to join the dark side once more but he was having none of it. She looked him over and decided to try a different method with him. He was a man after all and she a woman who prided herself on her good looks. Most could not resist her.

"You know," She began, raising from the chair and sashaying over to him, "A long time ago I used to date Merlin."

"So?" Cedric questioned, barely giving three warthog whiskers about that little bit of information. As if her brief time being a famous wizard's lover at some point meant she was special. He didn't care at all even if she was dating him now. She was who she was and she was on the opposite side of him and not on his good list either for having almost harmed Sofia and Callista. He had not lowered his wand a little inch.

"But you know, he's old hat. You on the other hand," She purred a little, batting her eyelashes. At that very moment Sofia was nearing the door and saw it opened enough to witness this next scene. Morgana, one of her enemies, was pressed up against Cedric, looking at him with a half lidded expression, her lips seemingly inches away from his.

"I really like you and I know you really like me."

Sofia couldn't help it, she gasped and it was loud enough to have the two turn towards her and notice her presence. Cedric's eyes widened with horror at what this might look like to her, in more ways than one he looked like he was betraying her. It was true, to her eyes it seemed he might be considering teaming up with the evil woman and then, to her dismay, being with her personally and romantically. Sofia's heart stammered sadly but she would not cry, she would not! She just gave Cedric this static look, her hurt displayed in her blue eyes. He had no words, he could not form any, he was frozen under her stare. Sofia, still staring him down, flicked her eyes now to Morgana with her lips pressed together. She placed the box down on the counter near the door, took a deep breath in then turned on her heels, back straight and head high, not running away but walking away with her dignity still intact but halfway down the stairs she started to run and she did start to cry, despite herself. What was worse, Cedric heard it and it broke him to pieces.

Morgana, on the other hand, found this all too wickedly delightful and was laughing. Cedric's sadness turned to anger his anger turning to hatred which was now bubbling up and out of him. He was shaking with rage as she laughed. The woman had already tried to hurt her once but now she had hurt Sofia not physically but emotionally and that was worse. No one did that in his presence and got away with it. He didn't care if she was a woman and he was supposed to be a good man now, he wanted to make her disappear in the worse way. He wanted to hurt her as badly if not worse than she had hurt Sofia. He raised his wand to her, right to her face but she remained unphased. She walked over towards the door but he didn't drop his wand. She would not leave so easily. However it appeared she would not be leaving at all. To add insult to injury she picked up the card and started to read it out loud.

"Dearest Mr. Cedric," She started out, even making her voice a little higher to impersonate Sofia. "You are the most amazing wonderful sorcerer I've ever met." Morgana laughed at this. "Oh this poor girl. Cedric, I think she might even be in love with you the way she goes on and on."

"Put. That. Down. Now!" He commanded, his voice so full of anger and loathing that it made her look at him with some fear. She had never heard anyone sound so aggressive in her life and the look in his eyes even made her shiver inside. But then she smiled to cover the trepidation she felt, an evil slimy sort of smile.

"Oh my...don't tell me you like her back? You do realize she's a child and-"

Cedric's wand began to glow red and that red color doused his entire form making him look eerie and far more imposing than she could manage. He growled in anger at her, still shaking. He didn't just mean to harm her, she could see clearly that he meant to cast the one spell that no one should cast not even the evilest wizard should do. Knowing this Morgana quickly made herself vanish before he could exact whatever strange revenge he had on her. If he didn't want to join her cause and stick to his little princesses' side, so be it. Far be it from her to stand in his way or in the way of his wand. Even with her gone his ire didn't settle and instead of using one of his well-known phrases he flat out swore, which he usually never did if he could help it. His teeth gritted and he threw his wand to the ground hard if it was made of weaker material it would have snapped in half. He ran his nails through his hair, still enraged by all that had just transpired in the few moments ago but the thing he was most angry at was not Morgana, but himself, for not chasing after Sofia, for not comforting her, for not convincing her immediately he would rather die than join that witch of a woman.

He wanted to cuddle her and soothe her and make her tears stop, better yet she should not have cried at all. Sofia had cried, a feat not done since she was eight, which meant she had broken, her unshakable resolve and courage had broken, and it was his fault. He needed to find her, find her now and apologize for everything. He was still enraged but he let that go for now, there was nothing he could do with his anger that wasn't destructive and right now he needed to fix things not break things. Sofia had escaped the stairs and wanted to run to her room to lay there and give herself some time to calm down and then once she was, she would come back out and take a walk far away from the castle. She would have done that but a red donned figure approached her with long golden tresses, it was Amber in a short bejeweled burgundy off the shoulder dress, with heels of course, but still able to run and catch up with her sister. She didn't even notice Sofia looked distraught.

"Sofia thank goodness! I was looking for you! I-" Now she was noticing her sister's face, her puffy eyes and wet cheeks. Sofia very rarely cried and it made Amber feel immediately like holding her so she did, she held her tight and stroked over her hair decorated with pearls. "Who hurt you?"

Sofia didn't want to say, didn't even want to admit that it was a who and didn't want to sound foolish. She didn't want to tell her anything like that but she also couldn't lie. "I saw something awful but I really don't want to talk about it, Amber, if that's okay with you."

"I understand," She complied, taking out a lacy white tissue to dab her eyes with. "But you'll be okay...right? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'll be okay. It...really isn't something to cry about anyways..."

"That's good. You know this is actually great!"

"It...is?" Sofia confusingly asked, wiping off her face, now really feeling silly having cried over something like that. She was a big girl now and if she was to cry it would be because of something substantially bad.

"Yes!" Amber shrilly gaily replied, with enthusiasm, clapping her hands together. "I have just the thing to cheer you up! I went all through the lists and Sofia I think I found a good choice."

"What are you talking about?"

"I set you up with a date with a foreign prince! He's traveled a long way to get here just to meet you. Oh Sofia he's got everything- sparkling wit, a bright white smile, he's absolutely dashing though he has nothing on Ax, and he's exotic. Plus he likes to see the world and he loves animals. He's super nice and likes to read, I think he's fit for you. Please Sofia, please say you'll at least try him out! What do you have to lose?"

Sofia would have normally been a bit cross at her sister for setting all this up but she wasn't. She had already expelled a lot of negative emotion today and cried on top of it all, she had no more room to be cross. She looked up towards where the tower was and sighed. Well Cedric obviously didn't need her or want her around today. If he was going to be busy forgetting about all she had planned anyways then...

"You know what, you're right." Sofia agreed, smiling as much as she could, "I'll meet him."


	7. Chapter 7

Amber was gleeful as could be, titillated even, as she led Sofia towards where the prince was. Sofia was not that excited but would take anything at the moment to get her mind off things, plus it was always nice to meet someone new and he did travel a long way. She might as well be accommodable. When the big doors were opened Amber went into full queen mode, being gracious and curtsying deeply, Sofia did the same but not before she got a glimpse of this prince. He was taller than her, well defined and in shape, olive skinned with green eyes and dark curly hair that somehow looked wet. He also had light freckling on him and when he smiled it was full of white teeth, his smile was almost too big for his face.

"Prince Francois, thank you for being so patient. This is my darling little sister, Sofia."

"Sofie," He courteously announced, mispronouncing her name entirely which made her scrunch up her nose a little. He bowed to her and took her hand, kissing it which Sofia was not used to but knew it was a normal thing to do. "You are lovelier than I could have imagined."

"Oh um... thank you," Sofia responded, slowly withdrawing her hand because he was holding it for far too long. "It's an honor to have you here, Francois. Where are you from?"

"Oh here there everywhere really. My people and I travel a lot, you see I come from a long line of gypsies."

"Isn't that neat Sofia?" Amber enthused, beaming.

"Yes it's very neat. I've met one once but other than that I don't know much about your culture."

"Well Sofie, how about I enlighten you?" He offered his arm to her, his smile remaining. She didn't want to correct him for fear that this was his accent and he was not saying it wrong at all, so she just took his arm but with hesitation.

He seemed nice thus far and if he was everything that Amber told her then they would have no trouble getting along. There was something off about him, something in her gut told her to stay on her toes but for once she didn't listen, telling herself not to be so worried over nothing, that it was all fine. Francois led her outside the front doors, opening it for her with a small bow, showing off his caravan pulled by large winged chestnut horses with fine braided manes. He then opened the caravan door for her, still wearing his smile. She peered inside and decided everything seemed fine. If anything went wrong, she had a lot of people on her side that would rush to her aid, not disincluding herself.

So she went inside and so did he, closing the door behind her and sitting across from her, not beside which was already a good sign. She didn't think they were familiar enough to be pressed against each other like that. Inside the castle Amber had been watching them, making sure she got in safely and watched them fly away with a happy face. To her this seemed the perfect match and she hoped that she would enjoy herself at least a little so that she might forget about her silly emotions for the sorcerer. It wasn't that she didn't like Cedric, she did, and she really was thankful for all the times he had saved her sister but she did not forget being frozen that day. However none of that was her reason for doing it, she just thought Sofia should be with and like someone her own age and in her own class system.

Cedric was a decent person but he was not for her. As she was thinking about him, he materialized, running towards her seemingly breathless. He had left his tower in a rush to meet up with Sofia, hoping to find her and tell her the truth but he didn't find her in the hall or in her room and then when he saw Princess Amber about to move away from her spot, he knew she must know. After he caught his breath, he finally got around to asking her where it is Sofia went. Amber sized him up a bit, not sure why he was in such a rush to see her and on this day of all days. She was almost too smug as she told him where Sofia was.

"You just missed her actually. She's on a date with the Prince of Voumani."

"A...a what with who...?" Cedric was dumbfounded, his mouth was open as well as his eyes, eyebrows lowered. "B-b-but she was supposed to..." He had to pause for a moment and concluded what had transpired in the mere seconds that she had gone from his tower to wherever with the prince. He understood fast enough that she only went because of him, because of what she thought he did. He straightened himself up a little and realized perhaps it was better this way, it would eliminate all the obstacles. She could have her handsome prince and he could be alone, they both got what they deserved. So why did he feel so let down?

"Oh... well then never mind... I forgot to give her something when she left my tower but...it can wait," He halfheartedly half lied, sighing to himself.

He didn't know why he was feeling so upset right now. This is what he wanted, right? He didn't want to go on a date with her. It wasn't even a date. Sure they would have had a great time, in peace and quiet, with the fresh floral scented air, the taste of a refreshing drink, the sunshine in her hair, her laughter so sweet and carefree, for her to look at him like he was the only thing that was truly amazing in her life. He could live without it, it's not like he'd never see her again and they could possibly do it another day. Though with her busy schedule and going to school it might not be until next spring and by then who knew? She was with her prince now and he'd take up all the time she had that wasn't already being taken up. Sofia would leave him, almost rarely come and see him, she'd have someone else now and he'd be left alone again.

If not for Minerva that is but even then, she was just a bird and as fiercely devoted and friendly as she had been, she could not replace real human interaction and affection. Nothing could really replace Sofia. He tried to swallow his emotion, not let it bother him so much but he didn't know how he could handle this. He had her by his side for so long, her merriment and temperament made him feel light and hopeful, her letters made it easier to get through the day, her hugs and company were something he felt he really couldn't be without because he had nothing else, he had no one else. He supposed he could always try and reconnect with his sister and the rest of his family but they still were not exactly what he'd call friends.

He could go about making friends of his own but he doubted any of them could hold a candle to her. Even his cold demeanor was not enough to shake her politeness, she stood there always warming him, always giving him so much and he felt like he gave her nothing in return. If he felt he truly didn't deserve her then why was letting her go so hard? Why was watching her literally walk away from him in favor of some new person she barely knew so hard? Amber didn't hear the thunder storm of emotions in his mind or witness the sea of troubles he tried to swim against but she had heard what he said and she got visibly upset by it. She stomped her foot and put her hands at her hips.

"Cedric, did you upset her again?!"

It wasn't the accusation that stung him, it was her saying again, reminding him of his past errors. He hissed sharply at that but truly it was only right of her to be angry. He had not done any justice to them until most recently and that was all because of one little girl who had turned his life right side up. He rubbed his arm a little, trying not to make eye contact but had to because it would be disrespectful otherwise.

"It wasn't something I did, it's what she thought I did and she didn't give me time to explain."

"What is it she thought you did?" Amber stared him down crossly. "You know what I don't care. I'm telling you this right now, if you care at all about her then let her be. Apologize, of course, but let her live her life. She can't stay chained at your side forever, Cedric. She nearly worships you and it's unhealthy. You have to let her go."

Cedric looked at her, so downtrodden it must have been written all over his face because she went from being passive aggressive to looking sympathetic. She'd seen him in the worst conditions ever but there was something truly sad about what he looked like now. It was also a little pitiful, in her mind, that he was so attached to her and she to him. Cedric felt like he was struck somewhere by something. Let her go? Sofia was a free bird to fly where she wished, he never held her back from anything. She went somewhere today, nothing stopped her. Amber wasn't wrong though. He needed her like he needed air to breathe, and it disturbed him a little to think that but Sofia gave him air when he thought he would suffocate, gave him a life preserver when he was drowning, pulled him out from the quick sand and tended to his every wound. Parting with her was like ripping off a band aid that wasn't ready to come off yet, revealing a sore red scar that needed to be healed.

He couldn't formulate words he only nodded and stalked back to his lonesome tower that would now and forever remain devoid of her. No more of her singing laughter, no more of her bright smiles, her cheerful demeanor, her peppiness, her appreciative looks, her fawning over him, none of her soft angelic voice reading to him or talking to him, no more of her magic not even the ones she learned just the magic she had within her. He closed his door and locked it, his body feeling cold. He didn't want to feel this way at all, he wished someone would snap him out of it, but he was stuck here with phantom images to hold onto and nothing more. No more of the fleeting purple skirts across his room, just black darkness. It was in standing there, moping, that he saw the card siting atop the box. He picked it up and viewed the outside well decorated with different sorcery iconography. The inside held her cursive font scrawled across the page. He sat down and read it, trying to forget how Morgana read it and instead hearing Sofia's voice.

_Dearest Mr. Cedric,_

_You are the most amazing, most wonderful wizard I have ever met. On this day meant for sharing love I think of you, the person I've shared so many happy memories with. You've given me your time, your patience, your gentle care, your home, your arms to hold me. I cherish them all and you. My faithful sorcerer how can I describe you without using the word sensational? That's what you are and always will be. I hope for many more years of magic together. Love, Sofia. _

On the bottom he saw a perfectly recreated drawing of her and him hugging under a rainbow with little blue birds on the sides. It hurt and it wasn't meant to. Yet as much as it hurt, he read it again and again. Even if he told her what happened she still would have no reason to stay with him when she had whoever this mystery prince was. It really was for the best, he told himself so over and over to the point of exhaustion. This is how it was always going to be, he got in the way somehow by being whatever it is that bewitched her. Now she would no longer hold him in her heart like that. It was a good thing. He took out his gift and stroked it fondly, thinking he was insane for seeing her in it briefly. He told himself it was just the lavender shimmer, it had reminded him of her nothing more. He placed the crystal in his room to make for a night light and then took off his robes and crawled into bed. He needed to have a long long nap, he needed to clear his mind, he needed more than anything to stop caring about the princess. He needed to, as Amber put it, let her go.

Sofia on the other hand was not having a bad time, actually. It had been nice, he had taken her for a ride on a small boat, providing her with a parasol to cover her head from the sunlight. She sat there as his servant rowed them listening to him go on about his land and his people, as well as his many travels across the globe. He spoke with a light in his eye that made her get hooked onto the stories. They were fascinating and he spoke with an indistinguishable accent that was like nothing she had ever heard. He had a little gold tasseled bag and put it in her hand, saying it was a gift for her. She opened the bag and inside is what looked like a precious gem. She pulled it out to discover it was a large amethyst necklace that he got from his journeys to a place called the Majestic Mines. It looked expensive, even for a princess to have, perhaps a queen but a young lady no.

"This is gorgeous but it's too much for me. Please take it back," Sofia offered, holding out the necklace to him.

"You do not like it, Sofie?"

"It's stunning but not for me and besides I have a necklace already," She explained, pointing to the one around her neck. He looked at it and it seemed to glimmer.

"I see but surely a lady of your high standing has many necklaces. Why can't you wear a different one?"

"I promised to never take this off and it's very important to me. I never wear anything else."

"Forgive me, I had no idea it was so special to you. As a collector of rare jewels I understand the value of one so unique and held dear to your heart. Yet I have taken a lot of effort to get this, could you at least take it even if not to wear it?"

Sofia didn't think about it too much because it was a gift and she did not want to refuse it. If she didn't have to wear it then that was fine, it could just be displayed next to those high heels her sister got her. Fanciful materialistic objects never to be worn, pieces of art not fashion. She took it and placed it back in the bag, then put the bag in her dress pocket. They talked more, Sofia telling him about her many jobs and also of her school. He seemed genuine in his interest in all of them and he never took things too far with her, only giving her his arm and complimenting her every now and then. They raced flying horses together, danced a little to lively accordion music, and they ate food from Voumani. By the time she got home it was getting to be night. He dropped her off and gave her another hand kiss, telling her he'd hope to see her soon and that he had an enjoyable time. Sofia agreed, it wasn't bad as she was thinking, almost exactly like being with any other prince she knew only very slightly different.

She took off her gloves and stuffed them in her pocket, patting the little bag. She had almost forgotten about her sadness and all that came with it when she saw him standing there outside her bedroom door. Apprehensive and somewhat nervous was Cedric. His smile was weak and apologetic and awkward. Sofia blinked slowly a couple of times, surprised to see him there and waiting for her. She harbored no ill will towards him, how could she? He was her Cedric, her beloved magician, he could do no wrong or if he did wrong, he would always atone for it. She didn't mind if he did like Morgana, even if the woman was bad news and not fit for him. He at least should be with a good sorceress, not that she knew too many who were willing or his age. As he got closer to her and bent to her level she realized as their eyes locked that she still liked him and that realization made the sting of finding out she would forever remain a little girl to him come back.

She was nothing in comparison to a grown full hipped beauty with long silky waves of ebony and professional makeup, with her fitting dress and supple skin. No, Sofia was a child or at the very least she was always plain old Sofia to him, not ever to be seen as anything more. She supposed she'd have to live with that, with his decision, and be happy for him but hope he could change Morgana in some way as he had been changed. She hoped he was not tempted to leave his good will behind in favor of becoming evil once more. That wasn't the true him, it was a mirage sculpted by years of abuse and torment, now gone for good. He was bent at the knee to her, completely at her eye level.

"Sofia I... what you saw today-"

"It's fine," She interrupted, "I understand everything. You don't need to explain."

"But I do! You don't get it. I wasn't even remotely thinking of siding with her in any way! I'd rather turn in my wand than do that. I'd rather have all my powers sucked out of me than do that. I have no positive feelings towards her, I hate her. That's all I feel. I'm sorry that our day got ruined because of a misunderstanding, Sofia, and I'm sorry you had to cry because of me..."

"Mr. Cedric...you mean you don't like her...at all? And you weren't...Oh thank goodness!" Sofia exclaimed, holding tightly to him around his neck, burying her face into him.

Cedric was shocked at her sudden burst of emotion, expecting the opposite of this in some way but he would not push her away. Instead he wrapped his arms around her tightly, curling her as close to him as he could, trying to soak in her warmth so it could keep him from the coldness he'd feel without her. He gently stroked over her hair making some of the beaded pins fall out and her bangs to drape a little in front of her but she didn't care. She let herself get enveloped in this moment, in him and his scent, in his voice, in his everything.

"Oh my dear, you should have more faith in me. I'd never betray you."

"I know... I was being silly...," Sofia admitted, parting from him, her bangs in the way now causing her to giggle. He moved them behind her ear causing her to rub into his hand like a cat. He absentmindedly stroked her cheek with his thumb noting her blush. He removed his hand quickly, not wanting her to do that because he touched her. He didn't want her to still have feelings for him, not when he assured himself she no longer would and really shouldn't. She was confused and looked a bit hurt by him which made him want to put both hands on her cheeks but that would not do at all.

"By the way I saw what you gave to me. Thank you so much."

"You liked it? I'm so glad."

"Here, this is for you," He said, removing the bottle carefully from his pocket and placing it in her hands. She knew right away what it was but let him explain all the same. She looked fascinated at the bottle then spritzed some on herself, sighing with pleasure at the sweet rosy scent. She put the bottle up against her and smiled at him.

"It's a perfect gift, thank you! I'll use it sparingly to make it last longer."

"I can always make more, it's no problem."

"You're truly the best. You know that, right?"

He smiled warmly at her. "When you say it, I know it's the truth."

Sofia felt so much better now, so at ease and her cup was overflowing with joy. She did not lose him after all, in any sense. Though the tugging of her being so young and not yet formed and might still be just his apprentice still stuck in her mind. Still...she had him and he was not going to back stab her at any point. She was a fool for believing for a second he was ever even thinking of it.

"Mr. Cedric...I still want to have that picnic... I haven't eaten dinner yet... could we... maybe...?"

His eyes widened at her proposition. It was already somewhat strange to do this in the morning but at night it was downright outrageous but how could he say no to that face? He indulged her more than her father did Amber. Besides he too had been looking forward to it and he didn't like that her plan had gone awry. He agreed to it and they were off, her carrying a basket of goodies and he was carrying a blanket under his arm. He felt mischievous and on his toes, as if a guard would come out of nowhere to catch him and tell him what he was doing was beyond wrong. He couldn't answer for why it was wrong other than it was her and it was him and they were as opposite as opposite could be in rank and age. Plus it was the dead of night and it was still that day, the day for love. He could not image the shock upon King Roland's face if he came across his youngest daughter, the jewel of the crown of Enchancia, having snuck away to a secret location to meet him at night.

It was a crescent moon and its glow illuminated their path though Sofia knew it well enough by memory to get there even in the dark. The secret garden was still marked with a bright yellow bow and it was still as beautiful as it was the first day she found it. Going in there felt like a she was in a fairy land far away from home, somewhere she could escape where no one could find her. The swans were peacefully striding along the pond and the small night time animals were out and about, scurrying around. Cedric laid out the blanket and she placed down the basket then kicked off her shoes. She seemed to like being without any at all, he was noticing. She grabbed one of his feet and moved it playfully.

"You can take yours off you know."

"I...I uh I...okay um...I suppose it wouldn't kill me." He took off his low ankle boots only but not his socks, he kept his long grey socks secured to his feet, ashamed of his own body and even now felt somehow naked. Sofia sat with her legs tucked under her as she set out the plates and silverware as well as the cups. She had packed an array of things but mostly sandwiches, fruits, juice, vegetables, bread and butter to go with it. She put one of each on the plates, slicing the bread for him and putting butter on it.

"There we are all set. Go on dig in."

Cedric felt entirely unsure of his every movement, courtesy of years without ever being so close to a lady like this. Nervous didn't even cover it. He picked up the bread and ate it, trying to relax. Sofia seemed so at home, munching contently on her food and sipping her drink. He wished he wasn't so weird all the time. Sofia licked the butter off her lips as she looked around her. The fireflies were coming out and lit up the night sky with their bright lights. She oohed at them, watching them fly around like movable stars. One landed on her ring finger and stayed there a bit. She watched it closely, affixed to the tiny creature. She even started talking to it though she could not understand bugs but it was cute, by Cedric's standards. It flew away after some point and she waved goodbye to it.

"What a perfect night for this," Sofia remarked, her eyes like two big blue moons on her face, glowing and sparkling at him. He swallowed his food a bit too hard, still anxious about this whole ordeal but warming up to it.

"It's certainly is nice...and not too hot."

She agreed, picking up a grape and popping it in her mouth. He drank his juice and she refilled it for him, being a gracious hostess as usual. They passed their time just chit chatting or sitting there admiring natures splendor. For a time it felt like the world stood still just for them. Sofia pointed out some stars that Amber had taught her about, naming each one, having a bit of a fondness for the one called Orion because that was her friend's name. Cedric looked up at the sky then back up at her, listening to her go on about anything and everything raptly. He could listen for hours because she was so pure about it, so childlike with her wonder. Their food was eaten and they stretched out contently with full bellies. Then something made Sofia get up and dip her bare feet in the pond asking Cedric to join her.

He didn't want to because that involved taking off his socks and he wasn't going to expose himself to her. He barely liked to show off his hands. He never said it aloud but he wore so many layers because he was hiding himself in them. Still she looked like she really wanted him there and so he gave up and joined her. That made her happy, which made him feel better but only slightly. She gave him a sly smirk which made him a bundle of nerves again before she used her foot to splash him. Cedric was outraged, not angry, at that. Her lip biting and expectant look she seemed to want it back so he rolled up his sleeves.

"So the princess wants to play, huh?"

She giggled as he summoned up a water bubble to hurl at her. "No fair!" She cried out, running away from it.

He made the water bubble burst right above her soaking her head to toe but she was not mad in the least, she was laughing loudly into the night, her hair sticking to her face and dress sopping.

"Got you! Never mess with a wizard's robe, dear."

"I'll remember that," She smilingly replied before splashing him again. "Next time!" Sofia ran away from Cedric whose white bangs hung at his forehead and yet as wet as he was, he was in a good mood. He felt like a child again, Sofia could always do that for him. She dodged another water ball and landed on the ground softly, not hurting herself in the least. She rolled a little in the grass then laid there on her back, arms outstretched and her laughter never stopping only lessening a bit. Cedric stood above her, imposing and tall, blocking out the moonlight, his facial expression was like a naughty imp, somewhere between playful and wicked.

"Give up, do you?"

"Hmm...you win, I suppose."

He twirled his wand and blew on the tip though it was just as wet as the rest of him it was still hot to the touch. Sofia laid there looking up at him, her bigger than life magician standing over her, he was breathing a bit raggedly and she was not though her chest moved quickly up and down. After he sheathed his weapon, he sat down next to her and then, though she didn't ask, he laid down next to her, looking at the sky and finding shapes in it.

"Ooh look that one looks like an ice cream cone," Sofia pointed out.

"Or it could be a wizard hat," Cedric chimed in, tilting his head a little. "That one over there looks like little tree. See it?"

"Yes I do! I could almost imagine the leaves swaying in the wind. Oh oh look over here that one looks like an anchor...makes me want to go sailing again."

"I haven't had the honor of boarding a vessel manned by Captain Sofia. If you had a boat what would you call it?"

Sofia grinned at him then turned to him, a hand keeping her head up. "I'd name it after the queen of the ocean, of course. It's good luck to name your boats after women though I've heard its bad luck to have a woman on board. That's never been the case with me or mom. We haven't gotten lost in a storm once."

"You're a very resourceful lass," Cedric complimented, turning towards her. Their eyes stayed affixed to each other until his gaze was dropped to her amulet for the first time in years. Out of instinct and nothing else Sofia grabbed it and looked at him wearily. He looked back up at her a bit guiltily.

"I wasn't planning on stealing it. Goodness, Sofia. I was just thinking about how it sparkled whenever I looked at it, like it wanted to get my attention."

"Hmm...maybe it did. I wouldn't know, I'd have to ask Elena. We could ask her together! I'm sure you'd love Avalor. Let's make a promise that we'll go one day, okay?"

She held out her pinky and he looked at it weirdly, like he had never seen one before. "Why are you doing that?"

"You've never done a pinky promise?"

"Sofia... I do hate to remind you that you are the only friend I have. I've never done this...so explain it to me."

Instantly she felt empathy for him, knowing how alone he had been during those years. He had no one to really play games with or have fun with until she came along. She explained it briefly to him and then hooked her pinky to his. They made a promise then, though it felt like a secret oath to him, to go to Avalor together. That night had been full of surprises and intrigue for him but not unpleasant in the least. In fact he wouldn't mind doing it every year but he knew that wasn't possible. Sofia slipped her shoes onto her wet feet and both of them trudged through the hallways making squishy and squeaky noises but trying to be as quiet as they could be. Like a true gentleman he dropped her off at her doorstep, giving her a messy bow before he departed.

"Goodnight Mr. Cedric," she whispered with a smile on her face. He turned to her and whispered back,

"Goodnight Princess."

Her title never made her feel debased, not when he said it. No, it felt like a sweet little nickname instead, somehow, like their pinky promise, a secret only they kept. It was only two days after that when she had to go back to school and everyone would miss her dearly but looked forward to her letters in the post. Minerva hopped from Cedric's shoulder to Sofia's before they journeyed back to the academy. She had somehow missed it too but not as much as she would miss not seeing them again until next autumn. However none of that mattered, all that mattered now was she study and study hard. She met up with her friends in the courtyard, each of them talking about what they did during spring break. All of them had wonderful stories to tell with Rain saying she mostly stayed home with her family and painted. Rain was an expert at magical art. After they all went over their escapades, they headed on to their dorms.

Sofia put her bag with the expensive necklace to the side and displayed her pearlescent glass bottle filled with pale pink potion. She could still smell the lingering scent on her even after three baths, that's how strong it was but not overpowering. She took out all her cards and put them in a neat corner then she got on her white cloak. Off she went to her classes, a new day awaited her. Sofia had always been close to her princess friends but this school had brought her closer than she ever knew with Lakshmi and Jun, most especially Jun since they shared a room.

She learned a lot about both of the girl's gods, rituals, food, culture, and beliefs and though they didn't always agree they always stayed civil about it. Rain was from a different area than Sofia. She was from a large city with a lot of shopping districts but they lived on top of the hill, further away from it all. Her favorite thing to do was draw the city skyline in different hours of the day because it always looked different. Sofia would tell her about Enchancia and all the marvelous wonders it held and Rain would want more and more to go there one day. Sofia gladly welcomed her to their castle any time she liked, they could have a sleepover and she could get away from April. April had bullied a little less but was still rude. It never escalated and Sofia was very good at not letting it phase her in the least. She had more important matters at hand anyhow.

Strangely April started to get envious of Sofia because she was getting letters from the prince almost daily, often getting parcels too with various luxuries tucked inside, most of which she never put on herself. She had asked him politely if he could stop sending her things all the time and if he didn't mind her regifting them. He apologized stating that he only wished for her to be draped in the finest money could offer and that she was more priceless than any jewel. Though Sofia harbored no affection for him of that sort the wording did make her blush a little. From that day on he only sent letters. April could not stay entirely angry at Sofia when she gave her a faux fur coat. Sofia knew very well it was fake but the thought of fur not being attached to an animal made her uneasy. April took the gift and would wear it when not wearing her robes, often displaying it and calling Sofia a silly girl for giving it up.

Sofia merely shrugged. '_You can't win them all_', she told herself, '_but at least she liked it enough to wear it_.' Sofia got lots of other letters and small things, once James sent her a chess set, a game which he was getting decently good at because it took strategy and it had a knight piece, his favorite. Her father liked to send feathers of all sorts, sometimes with tidbits of information on the bird. He one time sent her a feather he found of Minerva's, saying he wasn't sure what species of owl she was and that he'd have to consult a big book of birds. When he got to writing back it appeared as though Minerva was a very rare type of owl called a flare owl, said to be guardians of the forest and often very loyal, very loving, and a good pet. Sofia thought it all made sense and gave Minerva extra pets. She hoped that whatever forest she had been guarding before she came here was safe.

"Rest assured, Sofia, I would not have left it unprotected. I'm not the only one who guards that forest."

This made Sofia glad and now felt a connection with the owl. They were both guardians but their other duties pulled them away from that. They also were both extremely fond of a certain dual haired wizard. Sofia started scenting the stationary specifically meant for him with the perfume which thankfully didn't offend any animal noses. She sent him a letter cutter decorated with ivy carvings so that he could open the mail easier. He already had one but he used hers since his was rusting anyways. It was a lot of fun having so many things to read in her downtime, so many laughs, so much intrigue, so much information. She could always hear the voices of the writers and feel their presence. The letters she got from the other princesses were just as great as well as Ruby and Jade, whose letters took longer to get to her and were always brown colored not white.

At one point Sofia was surprised to see a red envelope sitting there amongst the white and beige pile and picked it up. The words upon it were big, written on red paper with black thick lettering, some of it not spelled exactly right but it was legible. She didn't have to guess for too long who sent this, she only knew of one person so obsessed with "reddishly red" things. Callista had sent her mail which carried the postage stamp of her kingdom, courtesy of Cordelia. Cordelia actually sent her a letter too, talking about next fall how it would be simply marvelous to have her whole family together for once during the holiday. Apparently, they were always so separate with Cedric at the castle, her in her home with her husband and Callista, Goodwin and Winifred at Mystic Meadows, and her little one dearly missed her uncle and grandparents. Sofia told her they should all meet up at the meadows, send out invites but Cordelia said that it was easy to say that but not so easy to do.

The differences between them lead to petty arguments, at least it did in childhood and Cordelia was always too busy to go anyways but this year she would not be and she had hoped to see her parents. Besides, she had some good news to tell them, she was expecting another child, a little brother or sister for Callista. If it was a girl, they would name her Corina and if it was a boy then Callix. No one else knew now but those in her household and now Sofia. Sofia swore she'd tell no one but she was elated to hear the news. Callista was too, ready to be a big sister and asked Sofia for advice on how to do sistering right. Sofia made sure that she also promised another thing to them both, that they would all get together on giving thanks day. She could count on her to convince Cedric. Cordelia responded with the sauce that flavored both her and her brother,

"I have no doubt in that, dear. You say jump he's already ten feet in the air."

Sofia wasn't exactly sure of what that meant but understood enough that she meant Cedric would do anything for her. Cordelia was not wrong but she was also not all the way right. He would do anything for her, within reason. As to what that reason was only he knew but it was going to be tested as the years past as well as himself for the answer to the question of what he was afraid of was falling in love with her one day.


	8. Chapter 8

More exciting news came in the form of another letter. It was from her Aunt Tilly and recent Uncle Sir Bartelby, they told her they'd both be coming to visit come next Wassalia and that they couldn't wait to hear about all her grand adventures. Sofia had not seen either of them for a while, given how much her Aunt loved to explore, so this was a treat. She was almost impatient about how many good things were in store for her over the holidays. Of course that wasn't the only surprise visitor that she'd be getting on that day, Prince Francois wanted to come over as well since his parents were away on royal business. Sofia couldn't stand someone being alone on such an occasion so she was all too glad to have him come over. She couldn't wait to see all the holly, the cheerful ornaments, and lights, to decorate the tree, to eat gingerbread cookies, sip egg creams, and sit next to a roaring fire while listening to carols. This year everyone would go big because it was their first year with her since she had gone to school. It was going to be the best holiday ever.

Until then she'd have to keep on with what she was doing, striving forward in her schooling. So far, even with the advanced classes, it wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be and day by day she learned something interesting. Having such a studious dorm buddy meant the two never got distracted and would help each other out. It seemed everyone in her group was getting on with their studies well. There were extracurricular activities Sofia partook in to keep herself active but for the most part she just remained on top of her schooling. It was still difficult to pass her birthday without her family and other loved ones around her. Through the passing of seasons Sofia turned fourteen though she didn't do this alone.

Her friends were kind enough to give her a small vanilla iced cake with star shaped sprinkles and a couple of gifts. She was appreciative but couldn't help a sense of longing for more company of the familial type. They all understood her since they all had to go through major life events, birthdays, and holidays without their families too. Rain was fortunate her birthday was during springtime so she got to celebrate on her break, but that didn't mean she didn't feel sorrow for Sofia who had so many friends. When she blew out the candles, she wished for the same thing she always was wishing for, that she'd be able to come home and stay home soon. Sofia noticed small changes in herself now that she was fourteen. She was just a bit taller, her baby fat was disappearing, her hair growing thicker and longer which she had to cut to keep out of her way, and most surprisingly her body was forming.

Though she could tell she wouldn't be as shapely as her sister or some of the other girls she certainly would have a good shape to her. Her waist was now defined as well as her hips and those small barely noticeable mounds were becoming more than half a tea cup. All in all she thought now she really did look like a little lady and by the next year she'd practically look like a full-fledged woman. She never did any of the beauty regimens her other friends might have done, she kept herself natural and clean, if she wore any makeup it was light colors. Since her changes came about more and more of the males in the academy started to notice and some tried to ask her out. She would tell them she was okay with going places and spending time with them but not in a romantic sense. They asked her if she had a boyfriend, if that prince that sent her all the gifts had her heart already, both were answered with a no. However she never did tell them that her heart did chose someone already, all she said was she was not looking for romance, just friendship right now.

Amber was the only one who seemed not to get the memo and assumed she was hitting it off great with Francois. She got along with him, he was sweet, polite, pleasant, and liked a lot of the same things she did. This did not mean she was starting to or would ever like him that way, which wasn't his own fault, and she really didn't want to string him along but he seemed content just to hang out. He didn't think they were together like that and let her take her time with that decision, which Sofia greatly appreciated. She could never tell him why she truly could not like him that way, if Amber took it the way she did then who knew how a visiting prince might take it. It might be the greatest insult he ever received, to be essentially turned down for someone, as they might put it, like that. Sofia saw nothing wrong with Cedric, of course not he was the stars in the sky to her, so it boggled her mind that it anyone would be upset over the choice but she was intelligent enough to understand that's just how things were.

Her sister still insisted that Francois was perfect for her and that the two should keep dating but they weren't dating, Sofia would claim. Amber really never listened or read in this case, it just went right on past her. She couldn't believe Sofia didn't like him that way. She supposed she might have but unfortunately, for his sake, she could not and would not break away from the one who she had fancied since they first met. There were times where she replayed that day in her head, her standing in the hall, somewhat overwhelmed but in awe of her new home. Then he literally bumped right into her and she saw him, truly, up close. She was spellbound. She thought he was really very marvelous, more remarkable than any bobble or suit of armor in the castle. It was he that comforted her that awful day back when Amber was not so nice and her jealousy got the better of her.

Sofia had planned to run to her room, hide away, and cry to herself, essentially be miserable. Yet there he was, her angel looking out for her, there to pet her head and make it all better. Because of him she went to school the next day with high spirits and slept with a smile on her face. She knew he would always be there to help her, to guide her, to protect her, to teach her. Whenever he touched her, she'd feel all warm inside, so comforted by just a stroke or a hug. She had liked him way back then and that turned very quickly into something more. How could she be asked to drop all those years of blossoming attraction like it was nothing? How could everyone act like, after all he had done, he was nothing? He was not perfect exactly but nobody was, people made mistakes and should be forgiven.

She knew very well how haunted he was by his singularly corrupt choice, she knew he checked up on her, she knew he would sometimes sit on her bed and touch her cheek or tuck her in. Sometimes, just sometimes, he might even whimper in sadness, perhaps to sustain a cry. How could people not tell how sorry he was or how much he cared? How is it people didn't understand...she never saw his age, never cared about his status, didn't mind his flaws? Well she couldn't say it was everyone...not everyone knew. She wanted to tell her mother but what if her mother told the king and he didn't approve? What if he banned them from seeing each other for some reason? It scared her.

He didn't deserve to be punished for her feelings and neither did she. Yet she recalled Pocahontas's words...to listen to her heart and that would guide her. Her heart was like an arrow that shot swift and true and the target right now was him. Still even with that knowledge she didn't know if she could tell her mother. She had told her everything and anything all the time but this...somehow felt different. Sofia did not like keeping secrets, it might even get her cursed, but she was fearful of what might be done to him. He had earned that job and it was unfair of it to be snatched away. Despite how cross she had been with him at the time, it broke her heart to see him behind bars. She couldn't stand that happening to him again and because of her. For now, she would keep it quiet and hoped Amber would not say a word. She also trusted Hildegard, the other queen of gossip, to not spread the news like wild fire.

Days went by and her schooling went on past the summer, past all the beach days that could have been, and into the fall where the green leaves had turned orange and crumpled under her shoes. The weather was getting cooler now, the sun was not out as often, fog would sometimes cover the land , but best of all it meant the giving thanks time. Only this time she would have no bad news to ruin it so she could enjoy it fully. Halloween had come and gone, she celebrated it the same as last year, getting too much candy in her system and so many tricks placed upon her by the dark mages, but now it was time for her favorite holiday of the season. It was a time for all the families to gather around and not care about gifts, or the garlands, or anything else but each other.

A time for food, fun, and family. It was such a simple idea and always brought people of all walks of life together. Sofia looked forward to this one for two reasons, one was obvious, but another she had sneakily planned with Cordelia. See the two had gotten an idea for her and Callista to be at the Mystic Meadows and would wait for Cedric there. Sofia would easily enough have him go with her there and surprise. They could all have a happy time as a family again. Callista would get to see her uncle, Winifred and Goodwin would get to see their children, everyone won! Sofia would just pop by for a moment to drop him off and say her hellos, as well as bring them something delicious to eat. It was the perfect plan. After she departed from her coach, she went through the usual rounds of greeting everyone, with a surprisingly big hug from James who usually restricted himself from such things these days. He flushed a little bit and laughed it off.

"Sorry I just missed you a lot, Sof. Feels like it's been forever."

"It's okay James," Sofia explained, hugging him back, "I missed you too."

She made her way into the kitchen, breathing in all the smells of this day. She could smell steaming vegetables, roasted chicken, ham, cornbread stuffing, and nutmeg. All together it made a scrumptious aroma. James was in there too, trying to sneak a little piece of the ham for himself. Sofia giggled at him and when he noticed her, he put his finger to his lips. She got the memo, she would not tell what mischief he was up to. Though he was older than her he still acted like he was ten years old. She found the bakers area and asked politely if she could have some assistance making a pie. They had no trouble helping her and gave her an apron to cover her pretty dress so it wouldn't get flour on it.

She got to rolling out the dough under the careful supervision of the pastry chef. Sofia knew easily enough how to make a pie decently well but she wanted it to be just right. It was filled and set in the oven to bake. She watched it for a little while with a small smile on her face. For now, while it was baking, she could do other things. One of the things she did was put a centerpiece on the table, decorated with pine cones. She set out the plates, the cutlery, and folded the napkins and then after that she gathered some fall leaves of different shapes and colors then used them to make the table look even more festive. She had heard maple leaves were actually edible but they did not taste like the syrup their trees made. Still, curious as ever, she nibbled the corner of one. She stood there with a leaf in her mouth looking up, realizing she was being watched. She couldn't help but laugh at the face Baileywick was making as he looked at her.

"I...know you like to try new things but... I don't think eating the greenery should be one of them."

She shrugged a little and took it out of her mouth. "Sorry. Just wondered that's all."

She heard a little ding from the kitchen and exclaimed about the pie, giving Baileywick the rest of the leaves and telling him what to do with them before she went on her way. He only shook his head a little but smiled all the same. After so many years of being her butler, she could still surprise him. Her pie was done, now being taken out carefully by mitted hands and placed on the counter to cool. It was placed inside a container that would hold it but also not he hot to the touch yet keep the pie hot. She was able to carry her pie without burning her hands and so she walked around until she found him, lighting the candelabras on the table with his wand. He looked up briefly between what was in her hands and her.

"And where is our little princess off to with her goodies? Over the river and through the woods perhaps?" He lightly teased with a smirk.

"Well I'm glad you asked because it's somewhere you know. I baked this pie for your parents, I know how much they love boysenberry, and I was wondering if you could come with me to drop it off."

"You want me to go with you to my parents' house? You do know as soon as I get there, I'm not going to be able to leave. Mother will drag me inside and that's the end of that story."

"Oh come on, pretty please?" Sofia begged, pouting her lip and looking at him with big exaggerated eyes. "For me?"

He let out a long slightly agitated sigh of defeat. Minerva nipped his ear a little causing him to throw her a look. "You too, huh? Oh alright fine, but I won't say I didn't warn you."

"Thank you! Don't worry you won't regret it, promise," She added a wink to the end of her sentence then made her way over to the carriages. Cedric followed behind her, more like stalked in a slumped position behind her, mumbling under his breath.

He loved both of his parents but he preferred to stay away from them during certain times because certain arguments always arose or peering questions. Plus, though his father was undeniably much prouder of him, he still would try to teach him how to do his spells "better" even though there was nothing wrong with the way it was done. His mother would treat him like a child sometimes, coddling him to death, calling him Ceddy weddy kins. In private it wasn't so awful but in public, in front of Sofia of all people, it was downright embarrassing.

He was a grown man for crying out loud and a successful wizard to boot, he even had a trophy or two to his name and people gave him respect now. One would think his parents would not make him feel like he was a five year old but they did, especially his mother. Either that or they would snoop into his business all the time and that one question would always rear its ugly head like a dragon about to breathe fire. He feared it sometimes even more than a dragon. At least he could avoid a dragon. Sofia, as per her usual do goody self, was determined on going there. She really liked his parents, actually there were few people she didn't like, but it was a fondness returned to her. They loved her visits and her, finding her to be a quaint, darling, well-mannered princess.

Often they'd treat her as if she was part of the family. As she sat next to him, he wondered if he considered her the same way- if she was family to him. She looked up at him, eyes twinkling with some sort of hidden secret, and then she talked his ear off about school. He supposed he felt she was extremely close to him but she wasn't like another sister or niece or even a daughter. She was the dearest person in his heart that wasn't a relative but was she family? In a way she was but not similar to any other female in his lineage. She was just so close to him he didn't know what else to call her. Friend seemed like it didn't suit her, she was more than a friend. Then what? Certainly she wasn't too much more, any more than that and she'd be his... he couldn't think of her that way. He must have seemed off because she pat his hand which was warm as always.

"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Cedric, nothing will go wrong, you'll see."

Then she outright held his hand and he looked at her in shock at her brazen forwardness with him. She had always been so and had held his hand when she was smaller. That was nothing, just the tenderness of a child and never anything more, but she was not a child. She was fourteen and to his knowledge, still was affected with puppy love for him. He would not say she was unattractive, that would be cruel and not true anyways. She was always a pretty girl, adorable as could be with her rosy cheeks and all, but she was turning into... something more than pretty. A petite beauty whose hand wove with his. He shouldn't let this continue, he should let it go, shake her off, but he did the worst thing- he held her hand right back. He couldn't answer to why other than it did help steady him. Like it or not he actually was a little nervous, even queasy to see his family and hear all the complaining and critiquing on his life that they would do.

When they landed, he let go of her hand so quickly it was like she had smacked it. Since her hands were full the coach man helped her get down easily then he waved farewell and was on his way. Cedric couldn't place it as he walked down the cobbled steps towards the house, but something felt strange. They crossed the bridge and he still felt this sensation like something awful was lurking behind that wooden door. He knocked but didn't want to. He was no coward, but he felt this sense of dread that made him want to run for the hills. When the door opened, he barely got to asses anything, his mother had opened it and after she gasped and squeezed him into her arms so tight it made him feel like he might have something broken. She shook him side to side making him dizzy.

"Oh our son has come! Goodwin look! He's actually here!"

"Yes Winifred, I can see that. I think you ought to let go of the poor boy, he can hardly breathe."

Sofia stifled her laughter as he was let go, rubbing the side of his head as he tried to still the dizziness. Winifred dusted him off then nearly knocked him over as she saw Sofia standing in the door way.

"Sofia, my dear, how have you been?" She inquired, though Sofia found it a little hard to answer, it was now her turn to get hugged to death.

"I've been great. Schools been tough but nothing I can't handle."

"Such a moral and smart girl you are," Winifred complimented, petting her on the head much like Cedric had done so long ago. "And you come with a gift I see."

"Yes I baked you a boysenberry pie, your favorite."

"How considerate," Goodwin stated from his chair, sitting with someone on his lap that had now leapt off and ran full speed at Cedric who was just now coming to.

"UNCLE CEEDYY!"

He let out an oof as the ball of red with hair just like his clung to him making him wobble. He was suddenly very alert and aware of his surroundings. Callista was here which meant thaaat... He didn't need to look far to find her. Dressed to the nines with a large feathered hat was Cordelia, her natural brown hair pinned up in the most fashionable style possible. The two stared at each other for an eternity while Cedric was getting the life squeezed out of his leg by his niece. He barely heard her pleading for attention and to be played with because Cedric's senses were focused on her mother. She smiled a bit at him and waved her hand. Suddenly he understood everything as Sofia carefully crossed his peripheral, placing the pie down on the table. He squinted his eyes at her.

"This was your doing, wasn't it?"

Sofia did not seem at all offended or upset at his accusatory tone, which only served to make him more upset. Why was the girl so uncommonly sweet and forgiving at all times? She held her hands behind her back, teetering on the balls of her feet, worrying her lips with her teeth.

"I might have had something to do with it but please don't be mad at me. I only wanted for you all to be together and happy. It just...isn't right to be separated from your family today."

"She's right, Cedric, we've had our differences but those are behind us now. Don't you think it's past time we just all get along?"

He wanted to roll his eyes a little but his attention was now drawn to the little button nosed girl on his leg. She grinned at him. "Hello Uncle Ceddy!"

"Hello Callista..." He sighed again then removed her from his leg, holding her in one arm to his chest. "Well since I'm here, thanks to a certain princess, I might as well try and enjoy myself."

Off to the side he could see her smiling at him, as she always did, not at all caring that he was just a bit mad with her setting him up like this. He supposed he didn't need to be so angry with her, she was only trying to help after all. Sofia did nothing but what she felt was right, out of the goodness of her heart. She had no idea why he avoided going here, she was only being nice. How could he possibly be mad at her at all, when he had done so much worse than this to her and yet she forgave him? He sat himself down with Callista still in his arm, bouncing a little and wriggling to get out. Once she did, she leaped over to Sofia to give her the same kind of hug.

"You've gotten so big, Callista!"

"You too! Are you going to stay with us today?"

"Just for a tiny bit. I have to go home soon to my own family but I can stay for a couple minutes."

Callista celebrated by dancing around with Sofia, both of them twirling in a circle. Everyone watched the two of them with amusement and love for the two. Though Cordelia barely talked with Sofia she too felt her a part of the family, enough to have trusted the young girl to watch over her daughter. She was so mature despite her age that she had no trouble letting Callista go trick or treating with her. That night her daughter had come home in a hyper tizzy that was not the direct result of candy, instead she had a lot of fun wanting to do it every year. She talked about by the end of the night everyone treated her like a big girl and that she loved Sofia so much. She also said something a bit disconcerting at the time. It was that she wished Sofia would marry her uncle, so she could be her aunt. Cordelia had no response to that, only a light chuckle and sent her to bed with a glass of warm milk. Sofia was pretty much her aunt at this point or at least a god mother, she often took care of the child even when she herself was a child. Cordelia trusted very few others.

After their little dance everyone went to talking amongst themselves, Callista distracted from her feverish affection by playing with the dolls she brought. Sofia was playing with her they were pretending to be great jungle explorers looking for gold, every now and then one of them would eek because of a scary animal or pretend spider. Callista was not actually afraid of spiders but she was good at acting as if she was. As the two sat on the floor and the appetizers were being served while the main course cooked, Cedric counted the precious moments he had before the inevitable happened. It was only a matter of time before they couldn't help themselves but to butt into his life. Cordelia had just revealed her current state, causing Winifred to gush over what would be her second grandchild coming soon. Goodwin was less gushy and more just plain happy for her and the husband, who was also a sorcerer but rarely made any appearances outside of his home because he was busier than his wife.

"How wonderful! I can't wait to meet the little one, be sure to update us the whole time."

"Of course, mummy."

"Now if only Cedric could provide us with some grandchildren then I'd die happy."

He almost immediately bashed his head to the table due to extreme embarrassment. He wanted to avoid this topic but it always came up. Every single time they just had to bring it up. This is the reason why he avoided them this day because for some reason it was always brought up during the holidays and no other time. He supposed it was the sentimental feelings going around during the day. Sofia immediately turned towards the loud thumping noise and her sympathy towards her poor sorcerer gripped her heart so tightly she had to go by his side to make sure he didn't hurt himself. He felt a dainty hand stroking his back and a soft voice like a dove's coo worrying over him. If he wasn't so stressed and embarrassed right now, he'd have appreciated it more.

"Why do you always have to ask me?!" Cedric murmured, audible enough for those around him to hear. "I hate it and you know that!"

"It's only sensible for a mother to be concerned about her only son. You're a strapping lad, I don't understand why you haven't gotten married yet."

"Pft... I'm not even close to being strapping, that's just your opinion as my mother."

"Oh Mr. Cedric, that's not true. I think you're very...good looking." Sofia admitted shyly, turning her head away from everyone's gazes, especially his.

He blinked at her with his mouth agape, not sure how to process her confession other than physically, by turning redder than before. He had never been complimented like that, no one found him good looking. Actually they found him hideous, at the best he was okay but not handsome. She coughed a little to hide the shyness and awkwardness of the situation. She wanted to back away and say she had to go but the coach wouldn't be back for another ten to fifteen minutes. She just had to stand there and deal with what she had said.

She removed her hand from his and folded them tightly in front of her, staring down at her shoes now then finally up at him. "W...well...I..." He stuttered, his tongue all twisted up. "Thank you...?"

"Oh that reminds me!" Winifred exclaimed finally breaking the tension in the air. "I have a present for you Sofia, from last Wassalia. I had been waiting to give it to you all this time. Come, follow me."

Sofia was glad to follow her anywhere so long as it was away from the uncomfortable anxiety filled air. She avoided the eye contact for a moment but briefly caught his eye which turned her shy and made her follow after the woman quickly. It should have eased the tension when she was out of his sight but it didn't. He rubbed the back of his neck then saw the way his father was looking at him.

"What...?"

"Oh nothing, son."

"No don't nothing me. I know you have something to say. Spit it out already," rebutted a cross Cedric, using his frustration to cover what else he was feeling at the moment. His heart was beating quickly in his chest, so hard it almost hurt and his head didn't feel that great either. He needed to get some medication for his splitting headache and quick. A band aid would also do nicely because he had a small bleeding scar over a smaller bump.

"Awww poor Uncle Ceddy has a boo boo," Callista pointed out in a sad little voice.

"It does look like it hurts. Here let me get you something for that."

"I'm fine, father," He grumbled, wiping off his brow with a napkin then crossing his arms childishly. "Now go on, bring me lower."

"Oh Cedric, all I was going to say was that Sofia is a thoughtful girl to care about you so much. You're so defensive."

"Hmph...yes well...we all know Sofia is insufferably charming to all living creatures. I just happen to be one of them."

"Sofia is very nice," Callista chimed in, struggling to braid her dolls hair with her little tongue sticking out, "Don't you like her Uncle Ceddy?"

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?"

Cordelia tried to assist her daughter with the hair braiding but she seemed determined to do it on her own. Callista pushed her long white bangs out of her face and concentrated. He rubbed his head where his bump was, wishing he weren't here being scrutinized by everyone. Meanwhile Sofia was now inside the shared bedroom of Cedric's parents and standing there awaiting her gift. She took a look around and noticed portraits of their family all around, mostly of Cedric through the years, a couple of Callista, and strangely one that looked like the inside of Cedric's tower. She said nothing about it as she scanned the room and saw in the wallpaper there were little owls. Winifred seemed to have a love for them because Sofia was finding them everywhere. Finally the woman took out a long box wrapped simply with a dark purple bow then caressed the outside with a far off look, remembering something special. She approached her and opened the box, showing off a beautiful ivory lace dress with a periwinkle corset.

"This was made for me by my great grandmother so it has been in my family a long time. I believe the style is a little old fashioned but you'd appreciate that far more than my daughter. To be fair I haven't had the best relationship with her," She forlornly expressed with a sigh. "I think she harbors ill will towards us for allowing Cedric, the youngest, to take the role of royal sorcerer. It's supposed to go to the eldest or the most powerful but I convinced Goody to give it to my son. I wanted him to prove himself after all his failures but it was because of his failures, particularly the nasty one to her hair, that made her bitter towards us. It's surprising she even came here."

"Miss Winifred, she reached out to me because she wanted Callista to know her grandparents more and to be connected with you all. I think she's finally come to grips with the past and let it be. Don't be so down on yourself, you and Mr. Goodwin have been great parents! Look at who you've raised, two wonderful people who are some of the very best in their field."

Winifred smiled at her with warmth in her brown eyes. "You're such a kind-hearted person, in you I see the wisdom and beauty of a full grown woman. You have been very dear to me and you've proven you are a cut above the rest when it comes to magic. I think you deserve to wear the dress I wore for my fifteenth birthday, the dress I wore when Goodwin finally got the bravery to propose to me."

"You were proposed to at fifteen?"

She nodded her head. "Yes indeed and not a day goes by where I'm not happy he did. At the time we butt heads a lot because back then I was not Winifred the Wise, I was the wicked. I had been a not so nice sorceress and he had been a goody goody. Yet we secretly loved each other, both a little too stubborn to admit it, but when he saw me in this dress he could no longer hide it. He knew none of it mattered, all he knew was that I had to be his wife. Of course he ended up turning me into a bit of a good person myself...and I suppose I'm glad of that too."

Sofia soaked this in, having not known Winifred as anything but kind her whole life. Also not knowing the love story of her and Goodwin but now that it was revealed she was thankful she knew. For a sorcerer being with someone on the wrong side of magic could be both dangerous and, she had heard, sometimes even against the law but he did not care. He loved her anyways. Sofia touched her chest tenderly. Would it matter to Cedric how old she was or what she was? Would he not care and end up seeing her differently? She looked at this dress, this somehow magical dress that had been touched by all these generations. She felt it should still go to Cordelia, she was the next in line, or it could wait until Callista was old enough. Sofia didn't want to refuse the present, though it meant so much to their family she felt it should stay in it. She promised to wear it on her fifteenth, hoping and praying she would make it home before then. She'd have the dress tailored because it was a little big for her but other than that it looked perfect, pristine as if made today. Winifred followed her out of the room, Sofia with the box all wrapped up in her arms. The two women had walked into a heated argument between father and son and occasionally daughter but now the argument and Sofia were all put to a stop when the youngest uttered,

"Uncle Ceddy, why don't you just marry Sofia?"

Sofia almost dropped the box in disbelief at what she just heard. She turned Callista's favorite shade of red all over, feeling like all the blood rushing was going to make her faint. She let out a squeak that she did not know her vocal chords were capable of until now which caused her equally red partner to turn towards her. She clutched the box tightly, closing her eyes tighter. Her saving grace came in the form of flapping wings outside. When she heard the hooves landing, she knew the coach had arrived which meant she could leave. Sighing in relief she tried not to sound panicked when she told everyone that she had to leave now. Still, it came out in a higher voice than her own.

Winifred kissed her forehead and she rushed to give everyone a hug, save one, and then hustled to the carriage, leaving behind that question still sitting there and those golden brown eyes staring after her. She hopped into the carriage, swallowing back all her apprehension and trying to still herself. Her hands were shaking and as she touched her cheek, she felt she was still hot. The horses flew off making the house turn smaller and smaller but Sofia felt like that question resounded louder and louder in her head as well as the emotions that shocked through her body. If she had stayed and faced it, what would he have said? Callista was still sitting there wanting the question to be answered too but she had made everyone silent and some of them become strangely but wonderfully crimson. She looked around at everyone with innocent eyes.

"What...? Did I say something wrong?"


	9. Chapter 9

Thankfully for Sofia the rest of the holiday was blissfully without any more awkward encounters or embarrassments. She just had a good time with everyone, ate lots of food, and played charades. Sofia carefully took out the dress and hung it up somewhere safe, brushed over it- feeling the lace, and admired it. She went to bed smelling the scent of dry leaves and spices, lulled away by the sounds of the season. It wasn't so bad this time coming back to school, after all she'd be seeing them in the winter and that wasn't far off, also she'd be able to be there two days. She supposed they felt bad for making her miss last year and so she could be there on the eve to open the customary one present and bake cookies. It was just one month away, so given that information it was not a bad time at all.

She was now learning to make objects not just float but fly in the air, flicking her wand precisely as her teacher had taught her over the small objects provided. With each time the objects got bigger and heavier until it was that she found herself making whole desks fly around. She was also good at potions, she could now make one to turn objects any color you chose just by changing the word in the spell. She liked to fix broken objects with just magic, making a magnifying glass appear and using her wand on tiny gears, finding their exact place. There were also wizard duels though from what she had heard nothing like the ones at Hexley Hall.

At one point she had to go up against April, which made it feel like the fates just had to have them meet at all points. Sofia gave it her all and was able to disarm the girl causing her to receive a surprised and angered look. After disarming her she knocked her down, but when it came time for it, she also helped her up, asking if she was alright. Sofia got pushed to the side and April stormed off, having been shown up by a student younger than her and in front of her posse. Sofia would not be treated such a way and found her easily enough, stopping as she saw the position April was in. She was trying her best to hide away and she was crying to herself. Sofia couldn't listen to it, it made her feel nothing but sympathy for her, despite the bullying. She laid one comforting hand on April's shoulder, who turned and faced her with wild wet eyes. She hurriedly wiped off her tears.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check up on you. What's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Nothing is wrong and of course you didn't hurt me. Now go away."

"April...I don't understand. I've been nothing but kind to you, respectful, I've even given you things. What is it about me that you hate so much that you feel it's okay to upset me every day? Because from where I stand it feels unfair."

April glowered at her for a while, lips pursed, arms crossed. "You...you're so perfect at everything! It's infuriating! You always pass with flying colors, you make so many friends so easily, all the boys want you, all the girls want to be you. You're smart, pretty, funny, clever... even people in my own group are leaving me for you... You're Sofia, the savior of the land and whatever. How can I possibly hope to compete?"

"Life isn't a competition about who is the best or most beautiful. In the end your beauty or what you were best at is not what people remember, they remember the deeds you did and how you acted. You haven't been the nicest person so that's maybe why people don't want to be around you. My mother always says, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. It just means be nicer and more people will come to you. Think about how hard it was for me to just get here and have one of the first people I bump into treat me so wrong. How do you think that made you look to everyone else?"

April seemed to be thinking this over, the information finally hitting her. She recalled her own first time here and how nobody cared about her. She had to push and shove and boss her way to this point in her life. She never earned any of her friends or even her boyfriend, she forced them to come along with her. She only did this because she felt small otherwise and she felt like being popular was the key to success. She let out a long sigh, relaxing her shoulders a bit more.

"I'm sure I didn't look exactly... good in everyone's eyes, picking on you of all people, the sweetheart of Enchancia and all that."

"To be honest I really don't like people elevating me to such a high status. I'm just Sofia, a girl from a village who got a lucky break in life and became a princess. I only did what I could to help others, it's what I like to do. I'm not that special, often...I feel plain and ordinary."

"How can you say that? You've done so many things that others only dream of...you're a hero..."

"Even if that was the case that doesn't make me better than you at all. People like me because of how I treat them because I've known some heroes who were nasty and mean or arrogant. Being a hero doesn't mean being a good person and if you are a bad person, that doesn't mean you don't deserve a second chance. I'm willing to be your friend but only if you don't make me or anyone else feel lower than you."

"Sofia... I..." April started, twiddling her fingers. "I don't know what to say..."

"For starters how about, I'm sorry?"

April nodded her head and apologized, shaking her hand but Sofia was not a hand shaker she was a hugger. So a hug was what April got, warming up in the princess's arms. From that day forward April was no longer the wicked witch of the white mages and best of all she was now Sofia's friend. She was welcomed into the group by everyone, her sister being shocked to see her being kind to people instead of pushing them around. She was a lot more understanding and nicer, especially to her sister. It took a while for Rain to realize she wasn't dreaming and to accept this new reality. April supported Rain now in all venues of life including her art which made Rain more confident and come out of her shell, less shy and reclusive around other people.

Sofia was happy for all the parties involved, now she could go about her schooling without worrying about anything but exams. She studied hard, worked hard, and played hard because not everything could be just school. She had to take a break or else her eyes would get sore. She wanted to make absolutely sure she got home BEFORE she turned fifteen or at least a day before. At the most, on the day but not a day after. She met with the headmaster to ask how she was progressing and judging by that, how long it would take her to graduate. She told him if she needed to be bumped up to harder classes or take spring break off, she'd do it if she had to, though she'd hate it. Her headmaster went through all the paper work, shuffling it about, coughing sometimes and mumbling other times.

"Well Sofia you are progressing brilliantly, ahead of plan as expected. Actually you might have to only miss one week of spring break and that's all. You should be home in time for your fifteenth."

"You mean it? Really?! Yes! That's great to hear! Thank you!"

"Thank me? Thank yourself, you're the one putting in overtime and so much hard work and it's showing. I'd also thank the one who taught you magic, too. This Mr. Cedric, as you say, is clearly powerful to make a gifted apprentice such as yourself."

Sofia beamed brightly, her cheeks and eyes glowing. "Yes he is. The greatest sorcerer Enchancia has to offer!"

"Well if you say so, Sofia, it must be the truth. I'll send him a request to have his portrait put in this school. Do you think he'd be inclined to do so?"

Sofia smirked a little. "Oh yes... he'd be very inclined."

She was absolutely right. In fact he was over the moon with joy at having his face put anywhere, for all to see. It had been, for the longest time, one of his dream ambitions. He expressed his gratitude for her, for if not for her he doubted he'd be good enough to be there or recommended by anyone else. She flushed appreciably as she read his letter, explaining the good news to Minerva. She said it was about time, seeing as his father's portrait was there. Sofia agreed. It didn't take long until she was roaming the hallways and found his picture, surrounded by a dark silver frame. He looked so proud and he had that gleam in his eye that she adored. She could now very often be found in that hallway, sitting on the small plush seat under that portrait, doing her reading.

Lakshmi and Jun found her there one day, stretched out and leaning against it while reading and shared the same look. They thought it was about time they talk to Sofia about this "thing" she had with the royal magician. Both sat down with her, one on each side, and she looked between the two. They were able to pull a confession from her but she made them swear on everything that was benevolent not tell a soul. They both crossed their hearts with one hand up. She trusted these two, they were both soft spoken and honest, but could keep a secret locked away. Jun had her own secret, that she had a crush on one of the dark mages at the academy calling him very cute and precocious. Sofia knew of which one she spoke of, he was a royal too from another oriental palace far away. Sofia was able to help her gather enough courage to talk to him and from there the two became very close.

It seemed romance bloomed everywhere Sofia looked and she was perhaps a bit envious because no one else would have the problems she faced. Everyone liked someone of their own status or higher. She wouldn't give up on it, though, that's not the Sofia way. She did not quit so easily. She had to at least make sure he didn't like her the same way at all. She thought about their carriage ride in the fall and how she had boldly dared to hold his hand, testing to see what he would do but also because she really wanted to. The texture of his gloves felt a little rough, like burlap but it bothered her very little, besides the heat from his fingertips alone send pleasant chills into her stomach. He had held her hand back, knitted their fingers together, but he didn't squeeze hard with fear or nervousness. He just held it. She touched the hand he held to her cheek, trying to recall the way it felt.

She couldn't believe it, honestly. He had held her hand without saying anything about it. They were certainly close, even physically close as they hugged and touched with familiarity that was unheard of for two people like them, but for him to do that...it had to mean something. She wished she had someone who knew about such matters. Now that she thought about it, she did. April knew about these things, she dated off and on with other people, and she was far older than Sofia. Surely she must understand much more about the affairs of the heart than the others. Indeed she did. She talked with Sofia about how a man shows he likes you, ways he expresses affection, and little subtle hints that he's, as she put it, into you. It took skill to recognize these things because even the bravest men were too shy to show off exactly how they felt, if it was true anyways. For example she asked if he gives her gifts of high quality. She showed her the charm bracelet and April inspected it with a gentle hand.

"Mhm...that's not just any old gift you give. Even though you are a princess this is personal. He thought about you deeply when making it. I mean he remembered what kind of things you like and do. He pays close attention to you, he wants to make you happy. Is this...all he gave you?"

"No he made a tiara for me on the day of my graduation but it wasn't an ordinary tiara," Sofia elucidated, taking off her apprentice hat and letting her see her precious crown, "he made it with the rubies I made for him during my exam. Of course I was still very young then, a child. He couldn't have liked me like that."

"No, not yet, but it was still something personal. You see he's given you nothing but gifts tailor made to something important and special to you or were something important to him that he was willing to give up. I mean from what you've told me the man changed his entire self for your sake. I would think you at least mean a great deal to him. Has he said you were pretty?"

"Never... but then again I've never asked."

"Does he display desire towards you?"

"What do you mean?" Innocently asked Sofia, looking at April with the eyes of someone who had never even seen a male without his clothes off. April breathed in deeply and explained everything. That day was the day Sofia was enlightened in ways she didn't know she would be in this school. April told her all she needed to know about those kinds of desires without any pause or shame or even a little blush. She explained it with the straight forwardness of a teacher but calm yet blasé in her tone. Sofia, on the other hand, was ruby red hearing all of this. She was never told anything outside of she bled monthly but not told why exactly just that it happens. She sort of wished her mother told her all of this but she understood there wasn't much time with all the queenly duties. Still it was not exactly comfortable to have such an intimate discussion with a new friend. However Sofia did not feel like she was being belittled for not knowing all this, in fact knowing it at last made her feel more mature, more powerful in mind.

April wasn't concerned because she had done this already and that's why she was able to give her firsthand experience. Armed with her new knowledge Sofia could now not go through the halls without wondering who among her peers was a virgin and who was not. She also wondered if Amber was one or even James. She was not in their personal lives and they didn't go around telling her everything, after all she had to catch Amber with Axel and who knows how long that was going on for? Who also knew how much other than kissing they had done? She dared not ask. It was too private a matter. However she would always let Amber and James know they could come to her for anything, she was an adviser even if not given a diploma for it.

Her face burned as alive as the coals that were now being burned in the fire pits when thinking about all of that and her coveted beloved. She knew how clumsy he could be, how unsociable, how introverted but did that mean he was as inexperienced as she was or was he knowledgeable? She felt he was, he must be, something about him came off that way, he seemed wise in ways Sofia was not yet. She knew of none of her friends having done that yet and if they had she would not expect to be the first to know. She suspected Hildegard maybe had but wasn't sure of the rest. Lakshmi had an arranged marriage with someone but she had met him as a small child and liked him well enough to be wed to him, and she thought Rain had no crushes what so ever. Turned out she was wrong, she just instead had a secret affection for someone different, like Sofia did.

"You see Sofia...and please don't tell April, she might not understand but I know you always will... I like a girl, not a boy."

It did not shock or surprise or throw off Sofia, she took it normally and understandingly. To her it was no different than anything else, all should love or like whoever they wanted to. It was a shame that Rain had to be judged for such a thing but now Sofia and she became closer, two people who had impossible confessions towards people that no one seemed to want them to be with. She could give Rain advice but it would be the advice she herself just couldn't take. Sofia couldn't up and blurt it out to him, it was not the thing to do. No she would wait to see these so called signs, wait until she was certain, and then ask. If it was no then she hoped her friendship with him would not be strained. What then if it was a no? Was she supposed to just drop that feeling for him? It would take a long time before she would be able to let that go but she supposed there was always Francois. Though he was a sweet guy with good manners, humor, and considerate towards her requests there was still something strangely...not right with the way he looked at her or smiled. His words seemed genuine but his smile looked fake, like he was trying too hard to seem happy.

Perhaps he was, he did want to make a good impression and he wanted her to like him. She did like him but not that way and if that's what he was truly striving for she could not blame him. She was sure Amber had something to do with that, perhaps telling him things that were untrue. He came off as a decent, upstanding, moral, generally good person, perhaps lavished her a bit much but he was a prince, she thought maybe that was just in their nature, especially given he might like her. She felt bad for him, he probably did really like her that way and she was just keeping him at a distance using Cedric like a barrier between them. It must be a little upsetting for him to try so hard and get nowhere but he never seemed angry at her or rushed her, always telling her it was on her terms. She wished she could like him more, the way he seemed to want, but her heart was set. Still...she also wished she knew what it was about him that was setting he stomach to churn and skin to prickle and a small alarm bell, sounding more like the way a pixie talked, to go off.

Every time she shook it off because he was pleasant, thoughtful, not to bad looking at all, and often very good to her. It had to be that wide Cheshire smile that unnerved her that and something about his eyes...not the color or shape, just how they glimmered. She swore she saw that glimmer somewhere before. As she hopped into her carriage, preparing to go home for the eve of Wassalia had come at last, she tried to shake it off and say it was because he was trying to have something more with her while she was not interested. It couldn't be that he was something wrong. It must be something wrong with her. She was covered in warm clothing, wishing she could be a polar bear or a seal and have some type of outer layer to keep her warm. It was a particularly icy winter, the coldest yet, in fact the coldest since the rule of King Roland the first. There was talk of a blizzard this afternoon, she dearly hoped all her animal friends would be safe.

Clover had to stay inside and she was fine with letting any others indoors as well. Poor Robin, though, she had her little ones to watch over. Sofia would conjure them up a warm spacious bird house and place straw inside. That would keep them warm. Her coach landed as she was thinking of more ideas to keep the woodland animals safe when one of them leapt forward to greet her. It was Crackle, the only creature she knew besides Rex to tackle people. The dragon was getting awfully big, too big for Sofia to really carry anymore. At this point her snout could touch Sofia's stomach and her tail was longer than Sofia's arm. Thankfully Crackle's spikes never did hurt anyone, the tips were always rounded off.

"Hi Crackle! Shouldn't you be with Vivian?"

"She sent me over here to keep everyone warm! Dragon fire is hotter and lasts longer than normal fire and that blizzard is going to hit Enchancia, not Sumeria."

"That's very sweet of her to think of us, I'll write her a thank you card."

Sofia found the rest of her family who were all overjoyed to see her, giving her hugs that made her feel toasty. The interior of the castle was warmed up enough for Baileywick to take her coat revealing her ice blue dress that matched her eyes. The decorations were already mostly put up but the staff was in overhaul preparing the rest. Baileywick deposited one of the decorations in Sofia's hair, a little ice lily tucked behind her ear. Ever since their run in with the Queen of the Northern Ice there were more ice lilies growing closer and even now Sofia could hear Winter's melodious flute playing in the woods, though she rarely ever saw her. Fawns are regularly elusive creatures.

James was teaching Rex to do Wassalia carols which Amber kept pressing her hands to her ears at, trying to block out the musical howling. On the eve it was just her immediate family, everyone else would be coming tomorrow even if they promised to come today. No one would dare be out in that storm, so by tomorrow it should be cleared up and that's when they'd come. The windows were all frosted over and the snowy winds could be heard rattling about outside. Sofia wanted to make sure soon that the animals would be okay, it would only take a minute of her time. Before that she wanted to make gingerbread men with everyone and in thirty minutes that's what they were all doing. Amber liked to make gingerbread princes and princesses, James made knights and guards, Miranda made plain little smiling faced characters, her father liked to make the house itself, and Sofia made the residents of the castle.

"Oh Sofia make sure you add those cute little edible sparkles to my dress," Amber added, watching Sofia pipe green frosting onto the Amber cookie. Sofia made absolutely sure the cookie was as sparkly as could be and included a frosting tiara for good measure.

When she made herself, she put herself in the classic dress she used to wear, adding the pearls made of white chocolate onto it. Then she made sure to get her mother's favorite shade of pink-red mixed up to make her dress. She made Baileywicks have a tiny pocket watch, and she always had to not mix the colors when doing Cedric's hair. After decorating the lawn of the gingerbread house with animals and adding a few peppermints there and few gumdrops here and some powdered sugar on top, it was all done. So the full castle with some of the kingdom was built and on display for all to see, but no one would eat it, which disappointed James, though he was allowed to lick the batter. He still was when Sofia left the kitchen to gather anything she might need from her room. Also she had a certain bunny to say hello to. He was curled up on his plush pillow, snuggled under warm covers until she walked in and he saw her. He hopped over to meet her, jumping into her arms. She snuggled him against her face then scratched behind his ear causing his hind leg to thump up and down.

"How's the best bunny in the world?"

"I'm okay, Sof! You know, munching on lettuce, sleeping, the usual."

"So I see. How's everyone else doing out there? It's getting pretty bad."

"Well Whatnaught is fine, he's got his burrow and some of the birds have flown already but Robin's chicks are too young to fly. She stayed behind and Mia stayed too, to help. I'm worried about them most of all."

"Me too. I'm going to check up on them right now. Minerva you have to stay inside too, even for an owl it's way too cold. I'm sure Mr. Cedric has his tower all heated up and a nice place for you by the fire."

Minerva agreed and flew out of the room, saying her parting goodbyes to the rabbit whom she had become a good friend with since living here. Cedric heard the flapping of wings and opened his door for his trusted companion, letting her inside. She shook off her wings on the perch which was, as Sofia had said, by the fire. Minerva appreciated it, she also appreciated the meat Cedric had warmed up for her. She couldn't hunt in this weather and he knew that well enough. It wasn't fresh and live but it would do. He stroked over her head and back with affection, smelling the lightest whiff of Sofia's perfume lingering on the bird's feathers.

"You've been a first rate friend to me, you know, and I really should find a better way to thank you for watching over her... I've heard only people with magic in their blood can have a proper familiar. Perhaps Sofia's ancestors were magic users, it would explain why she's so good at it."

Minerva seemed to nod a little as she ate which undeterred Cedric, even as he was so close to her. "After I'm finished with this I'll go and have a little chat with her. I do hope she enjoys her gift, but then again, I don't know why every time I ask myself that. She likes everything I give her."

His avian ally was talking though she knew only Sofia could truly understand her. Still she replied that Sofia liked him too, very much so. As the two spent their time in quiet companionship, Minerva only hearing slight mumbles and light curses of the usual Cedric variety at things going awry, the purple loving princess was outside doing as she had planned. She magicked up a sizable bird house with an adjoining house for Mia, lined it with hay and sticks and straw, then even made small easily opened but sturdy doors in case the storm should get worse. It was already pretty bad and going to progress that way so Sofia would be heading inside before she was caught in the middle of it. However as she turned to go inside, she heard a lamenting cry of pain, a long anguished howling that didn't sound dog like, it sounded like a wolf.

Wolves were very territorial and far more aggressive than most animals Sofia dealt with but she was not one to become fearful, she had furry friends scarier than that and tamed a giant mountain cat and faced everything under the sun with fangs and claws. A wolf would be a walk in the park for her. She flipped up the hood of her coat to block out the offending wind though it didn't help all too much. Still she had a mission, she had to find where the crying came from. It sounded like the creature was in terrible pain and each time it cried Sofia's heart cried too. She had never heard of a true lone wolf so there might be more around but she'd just have to face it, she could explain why she was there. Deeper and deeper into the woods she went, the wind howling louder than the thing she was looking for almost blocking out the sound.

It grew colder, her hands looked red from numbness but she would not give in, her compassion would not allow her to be dissuade. Then she found it, a medium sized silvery grey majestic wolf, limping around in the cold. Something was wrong with its paw. As she expected there were others around it, some much bigger, some slim and female looking. The female was licking the wounded paw and whimpering sadly. As Sofia's feet crunched in the thick snow, cracking buried branches, she drew the attention of the little pack. They all turned their heads sharply towards her, eyes shining and a deep rumble in their throats. She was not welcome there by any account but she would not let their insistent growling stop her. She opened her mouth to speak, fog coming out from between chapping lips but the female wolf narrowed her eyes, stalking in front and coming close to Sofia, sniffing her dress and hand. Her tail wagged a little.

"This girl is no stranger to these woods. We are not on the best of terms with the foxes but one has told us about your heroism and that you can communicate with animals."

"It's true," Sofia answered, her teeth chattering. She wrapped her coat around herself tighter but it didn't stop her from feeling the sheer coldness of the wind. It was like a whip made of pure ice. Yet as cold as it was, to the point where her nose and cheeks were red as holly berries, she would not leave. "I've come to help."

"How can we trust this human?" One of the bigger male wolves asked in a deep voice, arching his shoulders in a predatory way. "Most of them hate wolves, always chasing us away, fearing us."

"Come on, Alpha Blue, does she look like she's afraid? If she was, she wouldn't be here. This girl is Sofia, I've heard nothing but greatness about her and she likes animals anyhow."

Sofia nodded, trying to smile but it hurt. The female wolf, who must have had some power to talk to the Alpha that way, lead her over to the much smaller wolf. Upon closer inspection he was very young, not a pup, but little more than what would be a young teenager. She nosed his paw explaining to Sofia what had happened and how it got this way.

"Do you think you can help?"

She looked around herself and knew that she would find no way to make a splint with no wood so she'd have to rely on her magic. Pulling out her wand, Sofia began her incantation. Sofia did not know how to heal just yet, that would come soon, but she could make slings, bandages, and casts. That's exactly what she did, the stroking cautiously over the wolf called Fang, telling him he would be alright as long as he rested often, stayed indoors, and didn't walk on his paw for about three weeks. He could easily remove the wrappings with his canines. The female wolf, who had told Sofia her name was Alpha Luna and that this was her son, bowed her head to Sofia. The rest did though Alpha Blue seemed to do it a bit guiltily, ears lying flat in an apologetic way.

"We owe you a debt of gratitude, Lady Sofia, and we shall not forget your name or you. If you ever need us just call for us," Alpha Luna appreciatively told her, helping her son up and joining with the rest of the pack. Sofia was glad to help but really needed to be heading home. She waved as best as she could then hurried back as fast as her feet could carry her.

Sofia had great navigational skills but all around her was white snow blurring her vision and all she could feel was cold, hungry, and now lost. She turned one way, thinking that was home, and headed that way, not knowing she was going further away. She ran and ran, getting more and more turned around and lost, she tried calling for help but her throat was so dry she could barely go past a loud whisper. Sofia hoped her amulet would provide some way of escaping this or that some miracle would befall her and she'd find home at last. She strove onward and onward until she tripped and fell, landing hard into a large stiff bank of snow. It had been some time in the castle and everyone was looking for Sofia, James holding her gift in his hand.

She seemed to be nowhere, not in her room, not in the library, not in the kitchen, not in the music room, not hiding for some strange reason. They had looked everywhere but they felt silly for not looking where Sofia liked to be most of her time. Roland climbed the stairs in a bit of a frenzy, it had been an hour since he last saw her or more and he was starting to worry. Sofia would not have left for such a long time, not today of all days. He knocked once but then let himself in, startling the sorcerer, making him drop something to the floor. He muttered one of his phrases but barely cared about it. If the king was here then something was up. He noticed the whole royal family was there, including the steward. His heart began to stammer a bit. There was one member missing.

"Cedric have you seen Sofia at all today?"

"No your majesty, not once. Is... something wrong?" He did not want the answer to be yes, he wanted her to be safe and sound but that was not the answer he got.

"I hope not...but we can't find her anywhere. She's nowhere in the castle... you don't think...?" Roland supposed, looking outside at the blizzard starting up. "No she wouldn't have...Sofia's smarter than that..."

"But what if she only stepped out for a moment and got lost? It's barely visible out there!" Miranda worried, now fearing for her daughter's life.

"We have to look for her! She could be out there all alone!" James exclaimed, putting down her gift quickly and rushing out the door, a true knight through and through.

The rest of his family followed after, not wanting to spare a single moment. Cedric came quicker than anyone had ever seen him go before, panic and fear causing adrenalin to shoot through him. He didn't even bother with his over coat or anything, he just went outside, shielding his face with just his arms. Baileywick stood in front of the group consisting of Sofia's family, holding a carefully enclosed lantern. Cedric cast a spell around them to block out the snow from their faces, a sort of invisible shield, then they were off. All going in different directions, calling out her name as loudly as possible, praying for an answer. She did not hear their voices but someone did, more than one someone, who had found Sofia earlier where she still laid and had stayed there keeping her warm. Cedric could scarcely care about himself being cold right now. He cursed all things though it did nothing for him.

He should have kept better watch on her, he was supposed to protect her, and he was too busy prattling around in his workshop to even go and see her. She would have told him where she was going and he would have gone with her to keep her safe. Now she was Merlin knows where and in this weather she could freeze to death though Cedric pushed that thought out of his head. He would find her, he'd stay out all night and all day until he did, he would not sleep or eat until she was found. He was taken out of his thoughts and his searching by an unusual sight, a wolf was hurdling his way and fast. Wolves don't usually come up to humans like that at least not alone, if they meant to scare away a human or hunt them down, it was rare if they did, but if they did it would be as a group. This was one wolf alone, a slender silver one, and for some reason something told him not to attack her or defend himself.

Wolves cannot bark, not like dogs, so she howled over and over and then came in front of him, not stopping but circling around his legs quickly, then ran to stand in front of him, pointing her nose in a direction. She had seen dogs do this. Cedric's eyes widened at the sight. Sofia was known to help and love many animals, big or small, gentle or hostile so when this one acted so strange and seemed to want his attention, he questioned nothing. He knew the wolf must know something so without even thinking he followed it, hoping his instincts were true. They had to be, wolves don't act like that. A dog maybe but a wolf certainly not. It ran fast but not too fast, looking behind itself to see if he was still there. He kept up with the animal surprisingly enough, usually never so fast or having this much stamina in his life. His lungs were burning but he didn't care.

Then the wolf came to this clearing, far from the castle, and surrounded by other wolves, all encircled around something. Cedric might have been frightened being surrounded by a pack of very large wolves but none of them growled, none of them made a sound, they wagged their tails a little as if welcoming him. In their eyes he saw nothing but good nature, they would not bite him even if they wanted to. Actually one of them licked his hand, just to show how friendly it was. It was hard to see but if he looked closer, he'd notice that one had a sling. He saw what they were covering, dusted lightly with snow and paler than he had ever seen her, was Sofia, her eyes halfway closed and she was talking incoherently. It was thanks to them unburying her and their body heat that she was alive right now. So many times had Sofia saved animals, that kindness was finally paid back- they had saved her. His frown deepened seeing her so helpless and anemic in appearance.

"Oh Sofia..."

He untied his robe and shrugged it off then leaned beside her, dispersing the wolves from her body. He wrapped her up tightly, lifting her into his arms and against his chest. In some way she looked so fragile, like a porcelain doll, due in part to her skin being white as snow with dashes of deep redness. He cradled her close, standing up straight and started walking fast towards where he had last seen the king and queen. As he did his movement seemed to rouse the princess a little, her eyes weakly opening. Her voice shakily asked,

"M-m-Mr. Ce-Cedric?"

He looked down upon her and nuzzled his nose against her forehead then gave it the lightest kiss. "Shhh shh don't waste your energy talking. I'm right here. I'll make it all okay, I swear it."

She closed her eyes with a tiny smile, pacified by that answer. He found the rest fast, not explaining how he found her just that he found her and she needed to be taken care of immediately. They didn't need to be told twice. The panic and distraught was all over everyone's faces with Miranda stroking over Sofia's hair and kept repeating something barely audible but it must have been reassurance. She was placed inside her bed hurriedly and bundled with a thousand blankets, a fire being lit by a concerned Crackle. Her loving rabbit came hopping into the bed and laid next to her on the pillow, looking up at Cedric with big helpless eyes, asking silently for him to fix whatever was wrong.

Cedric did not possess any power to talk to animals, save for slightly understanding birds, but he didn't need to hear to know that. Enchancia had physicians, medicine men, doctors and the like but on such short notice they would use their sorcerer. Besides he was just as good as any doctor, his potions more powerful than any medication. Of course he volunteered for it anyways, right away. No one would tell him no. They looked at Sofia, wheezing and moaning lightly in the bed, with forlorn expressions. Miranda kissed her daughter's ice cold cheeks, tucked her in, and took Cedric aside. She was very tearful, trying to remain in order in front of Sofia's siblings, telling him if he needed anything to call and they'd be there quickly. He assured them she'd be okay, he'd take care of her.

King Roland put his trust in Cedric but he was not the only one. Amber seemed solemn as she apologized for any ill will she had ever placed upon him because he had yet again risked his own life for her sister. Now he had her full trust too. After everyone left Cedric to his work and give Sofia some room, he looked over at her, still breathing irrhythmically in her deep slumber. He sighed deeply and touched her face. Her cheeks were cold but her forehead was hot so he placed a cool rag upon it. He kept one hand on the bed, peering at her for changes in her breathing while still concentrating on his potions.

"My poor girl..." He sighed deeply.

For hours and hours he watched over her, not once sleeping, not once moving unless to get something specifically for her. Every now and then one or two of her family members would check in to see how she was, it was always the same. Then at last some movement. She squirmed a little under all the thick layers, only her head was clearly visible and looked small amongst the many covers. Her eyes opened fully and she looked around at her surroundings landing her eyes on her faithful sorcerer, steadfast and at her side. He smiled, looking a bit worn down himself, but no less happy to see her up. She coughed just a tad bit.

"Wha...what happened? Oh my head..." Sofia moaned, reaching up to touch her temple. "I feel awful."

"That's to be expected. You have a nasty cold, love. Here I made you a broth, drink it all up alright, it's got a lot of powerful ingredients in it to help you get better."

Sofia would have graciously taken the bowl but he sat close to her, stirred with the spoon, and blew on it before introducing it to her mouth. Her blush made her feel much warmer than before but she sipped it all the same. She didn't have a huge appetite but she could stomach it. The soup tasted bitter yet rich.

"You're rather reckless, Sofia. Didn't you know that the weather was unsafe to be in?"

"I know... I'm sorry but I had to help the wolf...," Sofia admitted, sipping the soup.

"Only you would brave a blizzard to help a wounded wolf. I don't know if I should admire you or think you're insane."

"Wait if I have a cold then you could catch it!"

"I don't care at all about myself, only you. Sofia you... never do that again, alright? You nearly gave me a heart attack. I... don't know what we would...what I would...do without you in my life. Please, you have to be careful."

Sofia stared at Cedric who had stopped feeding her but even if he still was, she'd stare. She could hear the melancholy in his voice and then realized he was not wearing his robe. She now realized she was snuggled into it. She thought of what must have happened and her heart panged for him, both with sadness and with love. Her courageous sorcerer had removed his only source of warmth just for her and now here he was by her side, taking care of her. She saw Clover curled up beside her sleeping and Crackle by the fireplace. Everyone was so worried about her. She sneezed hard being given a tissue by him. She thanked him and used it.

"Ugh...I can't believe I'm going to be sick on Wassalia."

"I'll do my best to make sure you feel your best but I don't guarantee anything. Now let's finish this up and you go back to sleep. You need your rest."

"Will you... read me to sleep?"

"Of course I will but you have to drink this all up."

She took the bowl from him and gulped it down quickly then handed it back. He chuckled at her enthusiasm then wiped off her mouth for her. She pointed out which book she'd like him to read and he began. Some time later someone else who dared to brave the storm came knocking at their front door, which Baileywick let them in with a confused face. Almost knocking him over with the stuff she gave him was Sofia's Aunt Tilly followed by Sir Bartelby. Roland greeted his sister but asked her why she was here when the weather was so terrible.

"A little snow never stopped me from seeing my family! Now let's dig into the hot cocoa and the presents!" She excitedly enthused, raising her hands but then noticed everyone was decidedly less cheery and more worrisome. She also noticed the absence of her little adventurous niece.

"Where is Sofia?"

"She's very ill but Cedric's helping her with magic," James told her, petting Rex who seemed to be down too, giving his master affection.

"Cedric...? Whizzbang! He's a thumping good magician, should have her all good in no time. Cheer up everyone, we have to remain high in spirits for Sofia."

"You're right, Tilly," Roland agreed, putting an arm around her shoulder and squeezing it, "We have to put on a happy face and still make this the best holiday for her that we can."

"Good then! Now can I go and see her or is it really bad?"

"You can visit for a while, I think seeing you will do her some good," Miranda assumed, standing up to walk with her to where Sofia was. Sir Bartelby stayed behind with the rest and got James feeling much less depressed with talks of knighthood.

The queen opened the door slowly, afraid she might wake her up, but Sofia was sound asleep. Aunt Tilly peered in and saw her niece wrapped up tighter than the gifts that remained untouched under the tree. She also saw the valiant wizard by her side in the chair, an opened book on his lap and snoring quite loudly but not loudly enough to rouse the sleeping beauty. It appeared exhaustion finally hit him and he too went to dream land. Miranda was content to let them be, Cedric had worked very hard and she could tell color was coming back to Sofia's cheeks. Aunt Tilly noticed something else, just out of the view of Miranda's eye line. Cedric's hand was just barely cupping Sofia's cheek and she was holding onto his hand as if it was giving her life. She nuzzled into it with a sweet smile. Aunt Tilly smiled too, a smile that knew of the secrets kept locked inside Sofia's heart.


	10. Chapter 10

Cedric never left her side, not for one single moment. Others tried to relieve him of his post so he could get proper sleep, after all tomorrow was Wassalia, but he wouldn't budge. He would only leave to use the bathroom, do a quick wash up, or to let someone change her into other clothes. Everyone appreciated his efforts, James even called him valiant and noble, that he was as much a knight as he was a sorcerer. Her fever had gone down significantly and she was no longer sneezing or coughing as violently as before. He claimed that by tonight's party she'd be feeling just fine, perhaps a bit less peppy because of exhaustion but nowhere near ill enough to make anyone sick. Sofia was glad to hear that she would not be sick during the holiday because everyone had put in so much work, traveled so far, and planned so big she'd hate to disappoint them and of course she'd hate to miss out on the party.

Right now it was early afternoon and she was up, still bundled by way too many covers. She told him the heat was starting to annoy her and she removed some layers until she felt comfortable. Her maids had delivered her breakfast to her door step and pushed the tray in, not wanting to get sick because they had a lot of duties to perform and couldn't afford it. They all cared for her deeply but they'd rather not risk it, at least not until it was absolutely certain that she was not contagious. Baileywick, however, was not like that and found their actions ridiculous. He never let a little cold bother him or stop him from working so it was he who delivered her lunch. He knocked on the door introducing himself and then was told he was allowed in. He was sure Sofia was in decent dress but he was a steward of the highest degree, he would always make sure he was permitted to enter while others might just assume and come on in.

He came inside the room and found Sofia with her legs sprawled out in front of her but modestly covering herself with blankets, playing cards in hand and some discarded on the bedside table. Cedric sat across her, still without his robes and his gloves, he didn't want to wear them because he needed his full hand to check her temperature, also with cards in hand. Sofia looked up from the cards brightly, obviously much better off than yesterday, she had that shine in her eyes and her red cheeks were now natural and not sickly. She beamed at him and welcomed him in, giving him a chipper good morning. Cedric was, a long time ago, very curt and short with Baileywick, but over time as he became a good wizard the two bonded, sharing the mutual cherishment of Sofia. So it was no surprise when he too gave Baileywick a good afternoon, though he barely raised his eyes from his deck.

"Well it does me good to see you up and alert. What game is it you're playing?"

"Rummy. I've never played before but it's fun," Sofia explained, taking out a card and placing it down.

"She's rather good at it, she's already won twice."

"Sofia is excellent at all types of games. Don't worry Cedric, I've lost to her many times," Baileywick admitted humbly. "Now, Sofia, do you have much of an appetite today?"

"Yes! By tonight I should be so hungry I might eat more than James."

"That would be a shock for sure," Cedric mumbled a little, trying not to insult the prince out loud but if Baileywick heard he was not upset by the remark. He knew James had a bottomless pit for a stomach, ever since he was a little one.

Baileywick pushed the cart close to Sofia and opened the lids, showing off her lunch. He told her what each thing was and that she should try to eat all of it since it was good for her. Sofia was a well-mannered little lady so she agreed, though she asked where Cedric's lunch was.

"Oh I'm not hungry, not even in the slightest," He lied, putting up one hand and waving it about.

Baileywick didn't believe him but he knew why he was doing that. The royals come first before anything else. There were many times where Baileywick didn't eat or sleep because he had to tend to a million things at once but as long as they were all provided for he did not even feel that hunger or sleep deprivation. He regretted any bad thoughts he had about the magician before him, even if they were so long ago, because it was clear to see he was a model servant now but most specifically to the littlest princess. It was no trouble seeing why, she was patient and lovable and mature yet childlike. She was a joy to be with and a pleasant, sweet girl. Baileywick assumed that though he could attest to loving Sofia, almost like she was his own sometimes, and that he'd always be there to watch over her, perhaps Cedric cared more. After all Baileywick had a loving family who accepted him from the start, many friends, and of course the royals had never mistreated him. Cedric, for a long time, had none of that.

As Sofia sat in front of the tray, trying to eat while she looked at her cards still, he now knew very well why she liked Cedric. At first he questioned it, calling him all sorts of mean things in his mind, but he had proven himself to the king, to the crown, to Sofia, and to all of Enchancia. He had saved her, taken damage multiple times for her. Even just yesterday he could have easily suffered second degree frost bite in his thin clothing but none of that mattered to him. If for nothing else Sofia must love him so because he was her savior many times. It wasn't just Roland who knew, Miranda and Baileywick both knew that Cedric now had a nasty scar. Sometimes he got small pricks of pain in that area, being hit with lightning like that head on was no joke. He had also fallen and hit who knew how many bones but thankfully he was bruised not broken. Yes, the man was her savior alright, no doubt about it, but she had liked him a lot before that even.

She saw the good in him, buried deep beneath the skin, and she pulled it out. They shared a special connection, it was undeniable and wholesome. Cedric retained this youthful glow, this lively spirit because of her. It was touching to see, for sure, but the steward was very weary of things, very perceptive. He knew when the king was too tired to work even when he said he wasn't, when the queen was thirsty, when Amber was just about to cry, and when James had lost something even if he didn't look like he was looking for it. He had trained himself to detect all emotion and wants. She liked him but to what extent? Even he wasn't sure with her, she was so affectionate towards all. For now it remained to be seen that their relationship was out of the norm. It was just two people who had a deep kinship, an unbreakable bond of friendship, and both loved each other very much. Baileywick smiled, bowed, and told her to ring when she needed him to take away the tray or for anything else. As he left Sofia looked at Cedric suspiciously with pursed lips.

"What? I'm not cheating I swear!"

"I didn't say you were but now I'm starting to wonder..."

"Well don't wonder because I'm playing straight with you. No tricks, I promise you that. If I were then I'd be winning now wouldn't I?"

"To be honest that's not why I was looking at you like that. You lied just now to Baileywick. You are hungry, I heard your stomach rumble."

"...You're very observant... but I'm fine, really."

"Nope, I've decided. You will eat now. I can't have you go on being hungry," Sofia stated, cutting her chicken sandwich into half then holding it up before him.

"That's yours, dear, I couldn't take it."

"I'm offering it."

"Truly it's okay. I can go and get myself something-"

"Mr. Cedric you will eat this sandwich right now, by order of the princess," Sofia demanded in mock sternness, one hand on her hip. Though the way she raised her head and kept her shoulders back was very regal, he must admit. The girl was determined to feed him, though he had gone hungry for days before. He could endure it but he was given an order, he had to fulfill it.

"You're stubborn," He remarked, taking the sandwich and eating it grumpily, even though he was not even barely angry.

"Not as stubborn as you are, Mr. Ceedric," She crooned playfully with a giggle.

"It's Ced-rick," He replied back, just as playful as she was, pretending to be cross with her like it was when she was younger.

"Whatever you say Mr. Ceeedric," She saucily replied back to him, obviously in some sort of mischievous mood, like a tricky little wee sprite. He placed the food down and stood before her, giving off a foreboding appearance.

"That's it, I've had it with the disrespect. You will be punished." He waggled his fingers causing her to slink away. He was not scary at all to her, it was just a game, she could tell he had the intention of tickling her and so she tried to escape in vain. The tickling torment began and her laughter filled the air. He only relented when she finally said his name right. Her laughs died down and her breathing went to normal and suddenly she realized she was sort of pinned under him. She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and he stood still, realizing the compromising position. She blushed, he blushed, and he removed himself from her. Her heart was still beating hard in her chest when he sat down and tried to go back to eating, ignoring what had transpired. All the sudden he did wish someone would come and take his place, the air between them was not as it had been mere moments ago. As if a prayer answered from heaven a knock came at the door. From the opened door popped in the head of Sofia's Aunt Tilly, smiling broadly at them. Sofia scampered out of her bed to rush over and hug her but stopped herself mid-way, realizing she might still be too sick to do such things. Her aunt didn't care, hugging her anyways. Sofia must have forgotten what she was wearing over her night gown but her aunt could see it and touched the hem.

"How nice of you, Cedric, to donate your robes."

"It was nothing, your ladyship."

"Nothing? You almost froze for her and you call that nothing? You've always been so hard on yourself."

He averted his eyes from her a bit shyly then shrugged. Tilly stroked over Sofia's head.

"You are a true man of honor, Cedric, and I'm forever thankful that my niece has someone like you to be her shield and sword."

"You...flatter me... but I'm...I just do what is right...Lady Matilda."

"Oh nobody calls me Matilda. You're family, you can call me Tilly."

"If it is what your ladyship wishes," He politely replied with a little bow.

"You really are too formal. I don't think you're like this with Sofia so no need to be like that with me. Has he been so formal with you, hm?"

"Hmm...he almost always just calls me Sofia, because we're friends. He only calls me princess as a nickname, I think."

Aunt Tilly's gaze seemed to penetrate him worse than any sword, silently but not cruelly judging him for any little action he took. He had been nothing but careful and kind to his Sofia, never hurt her at least not in recent years, and did nothing but what was best for his kingdom. So why did he feel so scrutinized under those brown eyes, as if he had done something wrong? Perhaps it was because he was still thinking back to a few blinks ago where he had been on top of her in her bed. That was certainly not appropriate behavior, not even if he was nobility. If she was a little younger it would have meant nothing to either of them but she was not and she had more maturity in her eyes than she used to. She was growing up, she was learning things, and she still seemed to fancy him more than average. He could just tell.

He had never had to deal with such a thing before but somehow, he knew. He knew the moment he looked into her eyes, with her trapped beneath him. She gazed into his with this look that made him shiver as if she...somehow knew that this was immoral in some way. It was obvious now that she knew all about the inner workings of men and women, and all that that would entail. He almost didn't want her to know, for her to remain this innocent creature, this little woodland fairy, this cherub who sprinkled love onto everything. Now she was becoming womanly, in more ways than one, and her mind was not left out of that. She could now think like he might think and if she scared him before, she was now something petrifying. Yet he chose to stay close to her and be with her at all times.

It didn't matter if he distanced himself as far as possible, she would find him and be around him, interested in everything he did, fascinated just by his breathing, enraptured with his very existence. Why her? He could deal with her mother liking him that way more than her! He could dismiss that, though it would get him in worse trouble, but at least he'd feel nothing, and not care. He didn't want to see Sofia cry again, he didn't want to be the one who forced her to see fairytales belonged in books, real life isn't like that. The poor girl was infatuated with him at some level and he would not be hers. Someone else had to tell her, it just wasn't right. She had Prince whatever his name was, what was wrong with him? Cedric had never met the fellow but he was sure he was everything a girl could dream of. An absolutely wretchedly perfect handsome little man who would sweep her off her feet and to the far far away land she truly wanted. Thinking about it, he would meet him tonight, he had heard he was coming.

Now as he thought about that his mood soured, he actually didn't want to meet him at all, see the boy who would be stealing away, to Cedric, the most precious princess in the whole kingdom, if not the world. He would be some swaggering suave sweet talker and just his face might make him angry. Cedric didn't like that he felt this animosity towards someone who treated her fairly and respected her and he didn't even want to face why he felt that way. Sofia didn't belong to him in any regards, even if she was his Sofia, it was not a possessive title. Still...he just didn't like the idea of some other...'_Well what?'_ he asked himself, '_Some other man taking her? What do you consider yourself? You aren't her lover and you never will be_.' Sofia was just his pretty, lovely...very lovely little friend. He should never let himself think otherwise no matter how she felt.

Cedric asked to be excused which left Sofia looking upset. He didn't like that look but he had to leave her side. Someone else should watch over her until she got better and only call him if necessary. Amber and her friends were right, they spent way too much time together. It wasn't healthy it wasn't normal. He needed some other outlet, some other friends his own age and level, she needed to stay in the realm of tiaras and ballgowns and fantasy for as long as she could manage. She could handle anything, anything at all, but he did not want her to handle heart break. No, not from him, not again. Tilly noticed how glum he looked and hoped she didn't say something to offend him. When she came in for a split second before Sofia leapt up to hug her, she noticed uncomfortable air that surrounded them. She was curious to know why. She was curious about a lot of things concerning this magician her niece took a liking to.

"So, how are you feeling then?"

"Much better," Sofia answered, going back to her comfy cover haven. She wrapped herself in his robe tightly. She wished he had hugged her once before he left, she could only vaguely recall it but she was certain he had carried her home from the forest and that he had kissed her forehead. She sadly thought that was as close to a kiss as she would ever get from him and she couldn't even recall the sensation. "I've been taking my medicine and eating a lot more."

"Whizzbang!" Tilly exclaimed, sitting in the chair next to the bed. "That Cedric of yours put in a lot of overtime but it's showing. You look healthy as a horse."

"Yes, he's a hard worker...I guess it's a good thing he left, he needs to rest and eat..."

"Sofia, did you not want him to leave?"

"Wh...what?" Sofia piped, her voice going strangely high. "I mean...well yes and no. I enjoy his company but he does need to take a breather."

"Hmm... you really like him, huh?"

Sofia did not want to blush again but it happened all the same, she hoped she could pass it off as sickness or something. She could smell Cedric all over her, it was comforting but it made her suffer a lingering loss of him. She was enjoying having him next to her so much and she had never slept so soundly before in that big bed of hers. With him there and his voice and his scent, she went to bed quickly. She could faintly hear him tell her goodnight before she went into slumber land. To have him there when she opened her eyes too, it was wonderful, and he was still sleeping so she heard him snore.

She sat on her stomach and just watched him sleeping upright, putting a blanket on him beforehand to keep him warm. She felt she could go on like that every day, she knew no matter what people said or made her believe, this was the right person for her. It felt right being with him like that, it felt different than being with any other prince or male. It felt special. So yes, she didn't want him to go but she also knew he had barely slept or ate or anything. Still the way he left, it wasn't like he left because he too knew he needed these things. He seemed to leave because he wanted to leave and that's what upset her so much. Maybe she was misjudging but she felt she was right. Sofia let out a long breath of air before answering.

"Of course I like him, I like everyone in the castle." She knew this was the response people wanted to hear, they liked to hear it, it made them believe she did not like him in any other way than she liked the others. It wasn't a lie but it also was a lie. She didn't get cursed or anything but sometimes she felt she should.

"I know that but you don't like him the same way you do Violet or Baileywick. What I mean to say is, Sofia, do you like him more than just a friend?"

"W...why would you ask me that? I...I do like him as a friend," Sofia carefully stated, trying her best not to say anything false but not a flat out lie. Her aunt touched her hand, covering it with her own.

"Sofia...I've kept a lot of your secrets, haven't I? I would never tell, not even to my brother. Can't you trust me?"

"I trust you...but... I'm so confused...and hurt...and torn...," Sofia sobbingly admitted, shaking her head no for some reason. "Why does nobody care what I want? Why is it what I want is not something I can have just because of who I am? Why has my future become a choice for someone else and not for me? Why does love need to be labeled and my heart be bottled up like...like..."

She broke down, crying into her aunt's chest, beside herself with emotions she had held in for a while. She wanted to be a grown up, to not feel this way at all, to be able to have control of her emotions and have a stiff upper lip. Why is it this was the hardest thing she had to conquer? She would try her best to do this but it seemed no matter what she did it didn't matter. She didn't just like him, it was deeper than that and yet she was now convincing herself he might not even like her or if he did or ever would he would hide it because they were simply not meant to be. What was she to do if he didn't? What was she to do if he did but she never would know? Just resign herself to someone else? She could be pleasantly content with any number of people she met, they would take care of her, they would love her, they would try to make her happy she was certain of that. But it wouldn't be him.

"Oh Sofia...you do really care about him, don't you?"

"Yes and it's wrong of me! It can't happen, it just can't happen!"

"Even if that was true why does that stop you from making it happen?"

"Because he could never see me than more than his little apprentice, just a cute girl who is his friend. I'm not going to grow up into some curvy woman who is befitting of him. I'll always be his princess, not his...anything else."

"Why are you so sure of this?"

"I just...I don't know...my own heart wants him but his I'm certain doesn't want me...and even if he did, he knows we are like Romeo and Juliet- our two sides are not meant to be together."

"Ah but even they were willing to go against the laws and codes and demands that their roles tried to define them as. They did not listen to anyone just as no one listened to them. Yes, they died, but they died for love, and if everyone had just let them love then that wouldn't have happened. It's not just a love story it's a story that reminds parents that sometimes we have to let our children decide for themselves who they will be with...even if it's something that most don't understand. I didn't marry a prince or duke, now did I?"

"He's a knight...that's still more than a sorcerer...but what you said about the story... I understand...love is worth fighting for...sometimes even against your own family and ignoring what others say. I know that much...but the problem still stands...he will not ever admit to liking me...if he even did..."

"Sofia Winslow-Balthazar," Aunt Tilly said, looking at her intently, "you listen to me. If he doesn't like you, he's truly a fool, but I know he's not. If he does like you, and there's a good chance he might, then if he truly would hide it you have to pull it out of him. Think of it like...well...hmm...ah you know chimney sweepers, right? They have to unclog the chimneys so they have to push and push no matter how difficult until the smoke is able to come out. You have to consider him and your affection like a chimney, fan those flames, remind him of what you have, who you are, you are Sofia! You do not give up or give in, if you want something you go and get it!"

Sofia felt her hope rising like a rush of hot water from a geyser, spurting out hard and erupting forth. She kept doubting herself over and over and she had no idea why. She had never really done it before save for when she was very small. She had gone through so much, done so much, and yet here she was still doubting her capabilities. Her aunt was not at all judging her, she did not mention or care about their age gap, she didn't mind their differences. She just accepted her, she truly accepted this decision and that gave Sofia a joy she couldn't explain. She had been hiding it or acting like it didn't matter, she had only told scant few others and any one was under a royal roof did not really approve. Clio did and Vivian did, she had told her in a letter because Vivian understood these things. Lakshmi saw nothing wrong with it due in part to her culture, same with Jun.

The problem lay with Amber more than anything, whose opinion of her mattered more than most because she was her sister and they lived together. Amber was also taking it upon herself to play matchmaker for Sofia. If she didn't understand then it stood to reason others in her family might not. She loved her father but what his morals were on these things she didn't know. He followed old rules for sure but he also applied new ones all the time, he broke tradition of marrying a queen by making a commoner into one. Surely he HAD to understand as well as her mother. How was she supposed to tell them? Did Amber and James even tell their parents about their own crushes? Most likely that was a no but then again theirs were in the same societal circle.

Whatever the case she decided she would not tell them, not until she was sure he liked her. Plus it was Wassalia, she ought to enjoy it and not just spring on something so major. Not yet. However what could she do to ensure whether or not he liked her? The way her aunt was talking it seemed she should press a bit further, be bolder, but she could not outright ask. It was a delicate thing to just ask like that but she wondered if it at all mattered if it was delicate. She had to know. Spring, she would ask him in spring. She came up with an idea, they would take a trip to Avalor together and when they were alone she'd tell him and see what happened next. If he did not feel the same then she'd just have to deal with it, she still had his friendship. To unlove him though...it would take a while. She also wanted to make sure he wasn't refusing her because of their roles. She would prefer him to not like her that way at all then just lie to her to save face. She sat with her legs tucked under her and told her plan to her aunt. She nodded with an ever growing smile.

"Sounds like you have it all worked out, then. It's smart of you to wait until after the holiday."

"Can I...ask you something?"

"Go right ahead."

"Why is it you don't care about me being...so young and a princess?"

"Should I? It's not like you are a child, you know. You'll be fifteen soon, your father married his first wife young too. I've never cared for rules myself, if I had decided to be queen I would tear the rules all up and dance around in the confetti."

Sofia lightly laughed at the thought of that. She remembered, her aunt was meant to be queen she was older but she gave that up to explore. Sofia could do the same...if worst came to worst. She could become a lady of the court. She was alright with that, so long as she was able to continue what she was doing thus far. Duchess Sofia sounded fine with her or Lady Sofia. She entertained the idea of calling Cedric a lord. She felt he would like that though it most likely wasn't a title he would receive. If so many changes had been made since the olden times then why not more? In another life if she still knew him they'd have no trouble being together- she was a commoner once. Yes she was certain she could make everyone see that there was nothing wrong here. So with that decided she spent the rest of her time filling her aunt's head with her tales and happenings throughout the lands. It was getting on into the late evening, some guests even started arriving and Sofia felt even better than before as she soaked in a hot tub filled with herbs to clear her sinuses.

It made her warmer than the water to think that the herbs that had touched his hands were now touching her undressed form. She scooped them up in her hands and smelled them deeply. Lemongrass, elderberry, and ginger. Her skin felt refreshed when she got out of it and she smelled nice too. She picked out a peppermint printed dress with green trim, perfectly festive for this holiday. With a spritz of perfume and a light touch of powder she was ready to go. Everyone was there that could possibly make it and all of them delighted to see her well. In her little peppermint shoes she went to each one and greeted them, talked for a while, laughed, and enjoyed herself. Amber was floating about in a dark green dress with long gloves, arm hooked around Axel's who had come just because she asked him to. Hugo was there as well, waving at Sofia from across the room. She waved back and they had a talk about how figure skating was going so far. Turns out he was heading for a championship, kingdom wide, and hopefully with practice and good fortune, his team could win it.

He had a new partner since Sofia but she knew her well enough, Princess Kari one of the best dancers in royal prep. She was not there because she had a performance but Hugo told Sofia that Kari wished she could be here partying instead. Sofia got two cups of egg cream and pushed through the crowd, pardoning herself and talking whenever stopped. As usual Cedric seemed to enjoy being all by his lonesome in the corner though it was harder to do that these days being so famous. Lucinda's mother and father were talking up a storm with him, both going on and on about magic. She could hear them even from a distance away. The little witch was also there but looked like she wanted to dance and make merry, not be connected at her mother's hip. Finally she pleaded with her to let her go and she was released at last. She zoomed off into the crowd, her midnight blue dress nothing but a twinkle as she passed Sofia with a quick hello. Cedric had watched her speed away and noticed Sofia making her way over to them steadily, walking carefully not to spill what was in the cups.

She meant one of those for him, he knew that without any level of arrogance. She couldn't leave him alone but he didn't want her to. Usually he couldn't stand all the noise of the holidays even now it was giving him some anxiety, but talking helped loosen him up some. One of the only reasons he loved the holidays was her. She always gave him exactly what he needed or wanted without knowing it, unlike everyone else who just threw him a mug or sweater and called it a day. Sofia had gotten closer but something stopped her, someone was grabbing her arm but not tightly or hard at all, just to get her attention. She turned and saw Prince Francois and his ever big smile, he also had on a purple and silver vest with pinstriped pants.

"Oh hello! I'm so glad you could come!" Sofia greeted, usually she would hug or something like that but her hands were full. He relieved one of her hands by taking the cup.

Cedric watched on, arms tightly crossed and a certain fire in his eyes. The parents that had been talking with him had vanished into the crowd, most likely to watch their child, but that was for the best. He was not making the nicest of faces. '_The cheek!_' Cedric's mind yelped in anger. '_That was supposed to be mine. I ought to go over to him and snatch it away!_' The prince took Sofia's hand in his and kissed it, lingering on it for far too long. Sofia did not look too comfortable with that but she tried to be hospitable. She also wasn't that upset with him taking the cup, he was just trying to help her out.

"Sofie, how pleasant it is to see you and thankfully in better spirits. I heard you were ill."

"Yes I was but our royal sorcerer helped me feel better."

"He must be very powerful then to cure you so quickly."

"The most powerful I know of."

Cedric's hmpfed arrogantly with both pride and superiority. He was also upset with the young man not pronouncing Sofia's name correctly. He wasn't a child and his accent didn't stop him from saying anything else wrong. It was like he was insulting her on purpose. Sofia pointed over towards Cedric making him freeze where he stood.

"He's right over there. Would you like to meet him?"

Internally Cedric was screeching louder than the owl perched on his shoulder no no no but it was no use. The prince did want to meet him and they were coming his way. Cedric stood as tall as he could and when the prince was in front of him, he folded his arms tighter against his chest, both relaxed and somehow menacing. Sofia didn't notice, she just smiled her glowing smile and introduced him, calling him her sorcerer as she always did but it felt like she emphasized my more than usual as if he belonged to her and none other. He supposed, in some way, he belonged to her far more than her father.

"It's nice to finally meet the great powerful Cied-reek."

His left eye twitched. It was cute when Sofia said his name wrong on purpose, he didn't mind it because that's just how they were but no one else was allowed the honor. Simultaneously they both turned to the prince and pronounced his name the way it should be said then they looked back at each other, the same fondness in their eyes. He reached out his hand, ignoring the words and asking for a hand shake. Cedric would rather not, he wasn't a touchy sort of man with strangers. Sofia knew this well enough and explained. He wasn't shy, he wasn't rude, it was just how he was.

"Oh I'm sorry. My apologies, Cied-reek," He responded with a bow. "I ought to respect the wishes of someone as all mighty as you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making Sofie better."

His eyebrow twitched this time but Sofia placated his soon to be rising frustration with the cup of egg cream that was still in her hands. He took it graciously and sipped it, keeping eye contact with this prince. He never stopped smiling, it gave him the creeps. The prince heard Amber calling to him and excused himself for a moment.

"Are you okay..?" Sofia asked Cedric softly, touching his arm. He warmed up under her tenderness.

"I'm fine, dearie, it's just... he doesn't rub the right way if you get me. He seems...off kilter..."

Prince Francois was heading back their way with Amber by his side, who had her own agenda. She did not like the fact that Francois was there and Sofia was by Cedric, yet again. Sofia was free to make her own decisions but she wasn't even giving the prince the time of day, it wasn't polite.

"Sofia they are doing the Wassalia waltz soon. Why don't you dance with Francois?"

Sofia looked at Cedric then at Francois then at her sister. It would not be nice to say no so she agreed to it, letting him take her hand and lead her away. Amber nodded her head at Cedric then pranced back to her beau. He watched them, dancing together, and he didn't like the way he held her, didn't like the way he touched her, talked to her, smiled at her, and looked at her. It felt wrong, it felt fake. Sofia's eyes came in contact with her sorcerer's, two golden eyes burning brightly in the darkness like candle lights. Yet as dark and sinister as he appeared, she was not frightened of him at all, she wanted to go into his arms and dance with him because she too felt something was wrong and now she couldn't ignore it. It was making her stomach tingle but she tried so hard to push that feeling away. It must be the cold coming back or something, she told herself or the egg cream disagreeing with her.

"You dance light as a feather, Sofie, and under the lights you look very lovely."

"Thank you...and you dance well too."

The waltz stopped and he kissed her hand again, giving her a courteous bow, before pulling her away from the dance floor and into the sea of people. All the rest of the night he stayed by her side. He did nothing wrong, he was sweet, he was charming, he was everything a prince should be, but that nagging in her stomach wouldn't go away. She ate some food to ease her and then broke away from him for a while to open gifts. They all sat around the tree and exchanged presents, each one of them oohing and smiling over everything they had gotten. Then she got to his present, the one from Francois himself, wrapped in expensive looking paper that looked like it was spun out of gold. It shined when she turned it in the light. She was careful to not damage the paper as she opened it. Inside the box was the shiniest diamond tiara she had ever witnessed, just as sparkly as the ornaments on the trees. Everyone was in awe of it, especially Amber who seemed to be jealous. Axel had gotten her one too but it had nothing on this. Sofia held it in her arms feeling its worth in the weight it carried. It was like a little chandelier in her hand.

"I know you told me not to give you fine things but I have so many treasures and jewels I don't know what to do with them. I saw this and thought that is a crown fit for a princess like Sofie, someone who is also a priceless treasure."

Some people awed at the statement but Sofia stood still. She didn't know what to say or do, she just stared at it. She had never been given something so expensive in her life, it must have been worth a fortune. She whispered thank you to him with a smile that felt like his, wrong. Cedric felt the same. It was a materialistic object, easily replaceable, and not at all personal. It was just a trinket, a bobble, a little fancy thing that was flashy and nothing more. What had both wounded him and enraged him in ways he didn't want to explain or justify was what he did next. He took off her precious pink crown, the one made for her, and placed the other one on top. Sofia stood there, perfectly still with the ruby crown in her lap.

He gave her a mirror to look at herself but she couldn't see. She was crying, just two droplets caressing her cheeks, and everyone assumed it was out of joy. She told herself to stop crying, it was just a crown and he was just trying to be nice. He had spent a lot of money on this and she should be grateful but it felt somehow painful, like he had ripped off her hair and replaced it with a wig. She wiped off her tears with the back of her hand, faking a smile to rival his. Her aunt could see past it and so could Cedric. She looked at him, he was fuming. She needed to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"I say it seems we have forgotten someone. Cedric, where's your gift for Sofia?" She questioned, drawing everyone's eyes to the tall man in the corner. He immediately stopped sulking and grating his teeth and chuckled a bit nervously. He preferred not to give his gift in public but now it was too late, everyone was waiting and watching.

"Oh um...must have slipped my mind..."

Sofia had a gift for him too but she placed it on his work table during all the fuss. He would find it there when he entered. She knew he didn't much care for crowds or all the flimflamery, as he might say it. He was a naturally private person, despite liking the lime light and prestige. She hoped nobody would ask because she did not want to make the long trek from his workshop back and have him all discombobulated. He was at his best when alone with her, he could be himself. Her head raised up and looked over his way. She wanted him to just make her disappear out of there with him, they both felt that way at that moment. With all eyes on him he pulled out a box for her, humbly wrapped in her favorite colors and it had little birds printed all over it.

She was even more careful to preserve the paper this time and when she took off the bow, she made sure to put it in her pocket. She didn't do that with the bow Francois had. He already had something on her hair that did not feel like it belonged. She told herself not to think that way about him, that she was being curt and impolite. This crown was no different than the many others she had that she never seemed to wear. She pulled out what was in the box carefully. It was a snow globe and it had his tower in it, when she turned it upside down little silvery snowflakes fell down. It had seemed so simple compared to the million coin crown on her head and yet it filled her with delight. She knew exactly why he gave her this, so that she wouldn't feel so far away from him, she'd always have his tower with her. She would get up to embrace him but everyone would be staring so she smiled her best smile for him.

"Thank you so much."

She had more to say but she expressed it with her eyes, with her lips, with any small gesture she could. He bowed to her lightly, calling her by a formal title. Soon everyone left and she said goodbye to each one along with her family. Aunt Tilly kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear to remember what she had told her. She winked to Cedric before she left. He could not understand her so he shrugged it off. She was just as confusing as Sofia sometimes, and just as plucky. Sofia gathered her gifts and along with the servants she was able to put them all away, tucking the big blindingly sparkly tiara as far back as she could. She appreciated it, that he was willing to shell out so much for her sake, but it was too much. She put back on her regular tiara.

"Yeah I like that one much better," Clover stated, nodding his head.

"Me too," Sofia agreed, touching it gently.

Cedric saw his gift waiting for him on the table and like a true giddy child at Christmas he rushed over to it and opened it. It was an ornate music box and when he wound it up a little version of Sofia spun around inside, the melody was the song she always hummed about. Somehow they had both gotten each other something to remind themselves of the other. He watched, fascinated at the figurine, playing the song over and over again. Sofia surprised him by coming out of nowhere asking if he liked it. She was always sneaking up on him even if she didn't mean to. He jumped a little but told her yes, he loved it and would keep it on his desk so it would be like she was there. Sofia said the same thing, that she would keep the snow globe on her desk.

She finally got to hug him and did so tightly. She had so much in her heart to say, so much to express, but she left him with a goodnight and he left her with the same. She could faintly hear the sound of the music box playing again as she left his tower. As she made it down the steps, she noticed her amulet was glowing and she also felt colder than usual, like a light breeze had come in from indoors. It faded quickly but she looked around to make sure the windows weren't left open. The last thing she needed was for her to be exposed to more cold weather. She couldn't be bothered to look at windows long, her amulet was calling someone from within. Sofia tried to find the person who would help her, though she felt she needed no help.

A light tap on her shoulder alerted her to the new comer. Sofia turned and saw a young woman, just a bit older than Amber, with blue eyes and freckles, her hair was orange-brown and braided into two pigtails. She noticed a white streak flowing through it, just one, sort of like her Cedric. The woman waved at her with a cheerful expression, so friendly in her nature that Sofia instantly liked her. She wasn't too familiar with this princess, though she felt she knew her somehow. It was unusual to meet a princess she didn't know but she had a strong feeling this was one of the people from the land called Arendelle.

"Hello, Sofia! My name is Princess Anna. It's really nice to meet you. I'm kind of new to all this."

"Oh...I think I recall a snowman talking about you but other than that I've never really heard of you."

"Yeah I don't get out much but here I am!"

"Well...not to be rude but...I don't think I need anything..."

"Nothing's troubling you? No feelings of dread or panic...no one who might seem a little strange to you?"

"Now that you mention it...Oh but it can't be anything bad...," Sofia began, sitting down on the lounging chair in the hallway. The princess sat next to her, hands on her knees and looking at her with a sweet calm face. "I guess...you see there's a prince and I don't know he makes me feel funny...not a good funny...He's been nothing but nice and charitable. Everyone loves him. So I don't know why I feel this...strange feeling...like something is wrong...but it's not...is it?"

"Sofia," Princess Anna started, touching near her own heart, "Once I met a prince and I thought he was my true love. I was going to marry him and live happily ever after. He was everything I could hope for and seemed to love me right back but when I had a curse on me and it could only be broken by an act of love, I went to him, thinking he could undo it. He left me there...and tried to take over my kingdom. Thankfully my sister saved me and the prince went away for good."

"But...Francois couldn't be like that..."

"Sometimes Sofia, people hide behind a mask of kindness. They can deceive you, trick you, and hurt you. When you are so blinded by their act you don't even notice the signs that something is wrong. I ignored them, I was too in love to see it. He was able to con and fool everyone. If your gut tells you he might not be good then listen to it. If it weren't for my sister...I don't think I'd be here right now. Despite everything I knew my sister loved me but looking back on it I could tell; Prince Hans never did. He only used me, tried to get me to trust him, and when I did he did the worst things imaginable. I don't want anyone else to have to go through that. Look,"

Anna clarified, holding Sofia's hands in her own. "I hope that he's not like that at all, that he's not some villain hiding his true nature. I want him to be exactly what he seems but I would not have been summoned if you did not need help. I can't follow you and save you, like my sister did me. All I can tell you is trust your instincts and always rely on those you can believe in and love."

Sofia was hearing all of this and reminded of two times in general. Firstly she was reminded of Princess Ivy and how Amber's sacrifice had saved the kingdom. If not for Amber selflessly taking on one of Ivy's make you forget dragonflies then who knows what would have happened? She also thought of Miss Nettle, who disguised herself as Sasha the Sorceress and from the start Sofia felt something was wrong with her. Everyone was so amazed and dazzled by her that they didn't realize it was a sham. Sofia almost didn't listen to her own intuition but when Snow White came, she was told what she was being told now. Some people disguise themselves to hurt you, only this time the disguise was almost too perfect. That day her resourcefulness and Cedric's magic had saved the day. In both cases someone she loved helped her stop an enemy that at first had lied and pretended to be on the side of good.

She and Amber might not always see eye to eye on everything but they loved each other and would be there for each other. She and Cedric were two peas in a pod yet opposite in a lot of ways, but they would defend one another to the end. She could trust them. She trusted so many people and so far none of them let her down. Even now Miss Nettle and Ivy were what she would call friends, so sometimes even the most wicked can be changed. Sofia had seen it many times but there were some bad eggs that stayed bad forever, like Queen Vor or all the villains in the tales she had read about.

Sofia would have thanked the princess but she was gone, leaving one snowflake to land on her nose like a winter kiss. As she went to bed, she thought of all that had happened and that she had learned. What if it was true, what if Francois was truly evil at his core and he was just playing her for a fool? What was his plan? What was he up to? Could he really not be trusted? Was there any way to change him so he would not be that way or was he destined to stay bad? She had come across many enemies but if this person was one then he frightened her the most of all, because she even now couldn't tell what side he was on.

[AN: Just wanted to state as a fact; I hate Frozen but I wanted to challenge myself. Also Anna just fit. Hope for all the fans I did her justice.]


	11. Chapter 11

[AN: Due to some more adult themes and situations I'm going to up the rating. Nothing too vulgar or descriptive but fair warning; I will always stay faithful to the characters and show but it only makes sense that as Sofia grows up so do the things she deals with.]

Sofia headed back to school, her mind full but determined to not let anything else bother her. She would focus only on her studying and nothing more. The rest just had to wait until she got back. It wouldn't be long before she could go home permanently. Winter would pass then spring would come soon, she'd miss a week but she'd also still have at least one. That one week was going to be her busiest because now there was less time with people but just as many people to go with. Still it would be important because she'd have to confess her feelings, a move so bold that she was glad she had a few months to mull it over. It was always a warm welcome when she came back and all of them talked about the season. It was great to have April on board with the group and to see her being so much kinder to her sister. They had obviously gotten much closer and Sofia could see a handmade beaded necklace that April was wearing. It looked like something Rain would make.

Sofia's classes consisted of healing types where she learned how to deal with wounds and pains with magic, transformation of other objects, making a small cloud of weather, advanced herbology, and a few others. Some were very difficult but she rolled up her sleeves and got to hitting the books, taking every note she could, memorizing all she could. She would pass, she would make sure of it. Minerva cheered her on and so did everyone else. She enjoyed learning but being away from home for so long was not something she enjoyed. Almost every day she would shake her snow globe and imagine Cedric at his own desk, going over a spell or two. She still got letters from Francois and wasn't sure if ignoring them would help her any or make matters worse. Perhaps if she was polite and sweet as possible, he would see her character and realize it wasn't right to do whatever it is he was planning on doing. This is what she hoped though she wished she knew his plan. She hoped it wasn't anything serious.

Every year they had a match with the dark mages versus the light mages to see who was the best in each sector. Last year Sofia came in first and that's what happened again this year, though it was a close tie with Jun. Everyone thought she was very gifted in magic but she told them it was just something she really loved to do. She didn't feel any more gifted than any other student. She liked enchanted history and magical cooking so far but her favorite was learning potions or working with magical weeds. Due to her training as an apprentice she was vastly knowledgeable of all these things. She was always just a bit ahead of people because she already knew so much but for her case that was good, that meant she had to push even more to prove she wasn't just smart, she was able. She proved herself many times. She had heard Merlin would be there to congratulate them when they walked out of those big doors with their diplomas.

Everyone was so nervous to meet someone so famous but Sofia had met him already and he was a quirky, fun, and very sweet person. Given that she had rubbed elbows with such an illustrious person of the magic realm she had become even more popular. She didn't mind having a few extra friends. This spring Rain had told Sofia she was ready and willing to go with her to Enchancia and see all those fantastic things she was always told about. April, now being Sofia's friend, wanted to go too. Sofia was ecstatic to have two new people see her castle, meet her family, and stay with her. She counted off two days that they'd be staying in the beginning of the week. She tried to figure out which day was the best for her little trip to Avalor. She'd just have to know what else everyone had in store for her. She crossed her fingers that she would even have time for it all.

Sofia was in choir and many told her she was the best singer though she believed that the honor belonged to someone else. Rain could sing very well but she was so shy and there was another who sang wonderfully too but everyone always claimed Sofia herself was the greatest. Honestly, she was kind of finding it hard to believe she was as great as everyone claimed she was. She often sang with a deep voiced boy whenever doing a male female duet but she pleaded with the teacher to let Rain be in choir. She was good, if only everyone gave her the chance. To help her get over her stage fright Sofia sang with her in front of everyone and Rain became less scared of the idea though she could never sing by herself. Now people were paying more attention to Rain and that included her crush, a dark mage girl with long black hair, apparently the daughter of the dark mage professor.

April inevitably let her sister know about her secret with the help of Sofia and to her surprise her sister was fine with it. It made Sofia just a bit upset that her own sister couldn't be so considerate. Loving your own gender was apparently worse than whatever Sofia was going through but April would help her through it. To see them work together like that it was so beautiful but Sofia couldn't help but imagine Amber. Amber was similar to April in some ways, in fact she bet when they met they would click instantly, but April did not laugh or joke or make fun of her sister. She held her in her arms and promised they'd find a way to make people accept her. Sofia's eyes were a little wet and her smile was tender. It really was a sight to see and at the same time it made Sofia wish her sister was the same way.

She also should let her know that perhaps Francois wasn't on the up and up but she knew when and if she did what Amber would say. Still she might need to warn her sister, who knows, perhaps he meant to harm her too. Regardless of the impending dangers she might be facing in the future, Sofia went back home for her spring break feeling like this week was going to be the greatest ever. Inside the carriage with her was April and Rain. They were bouncing and excited to see everything and Sofia was feeding that enthusiasm with all her stories. Soon they were flying over Dunwiddie, Sofia pointed out where her home used to be and she could see two people, small as dolls, walking around. She told them those two were Ruby and Jade, it was easy to tell even from way up there. The castle came into view, shining, grand, and breathtaking with its banners flapping in the wind and high peaks decorated, courtesy of Cedric, with golden horses. She pointed out where her room was, the stables where Minimus could be seen grazing, the garden where Clover usually liked to hang out, the forest where her bird friends resided and the wolves she had met, and she most proudly pointed out the tower she was so fond of.

"That's where Mr. Cedric lives, right in there. When Minerva is not with me, she stays with him as his pet. They make a good team."

"Wow a real wizard!" April exclaimed, eyeing the tower, trying to squint and see if she could see him in it. "I can't wait to meet this man that you fancy so much."

"Yeah! Me too!" Rain agreed, shaking her head and petting Minerva.

They landed gently on the ground greeted by a small group of people consisting of her family and Baileywick. They were all there to welcome the two new visitors to their home, they were even dressed in their best attire to make a good impression. Amber looked radiant in her refreshingly lime green gown, fanning herself but showing off a welcoming smile to the girls. The women all curtsied and the men all bowed.

"Welcome to Enchancia, April and Rain. I am King Roland the second, this is my wife Queen Miranda and these are our lovely children Sir James and Lady Amber, future reagent of our kingdom."

"A pleasure," Amber remarked, curtsying again, showing off her own training as a queen.

"It's great to meet you two," James commented, bowing again, "I hope we can see some awesome magic tricks."

"James!" Amber seethed behind her fan. He shrugged with a wide smile. Rain laughed a little.

"Of course! We'd be more than happy to show you some magic," She replied, brandishing her wand. The two girls had practiced something that would delight the eyes, a little firework shaped like a winged horse, it even flew. They all watched, amazed at the many different colors all raining down like sparkles upon them. The noise had alerted Cedric. Fireworks were usually done by him so when he heard one going off, he assumed James got into the box of stationary fireworks early. However peeking outside he could see two people he was not familiar with and one he was very familiar with. He brushed himself off and went down to greet them.

"That was brilliant!" James cheered. "You should meet our royal sorcerer, he does the best fireworks."

As if just saying his name summoned him, Cedric appeared by James's side in a puff of green smoke. The two young ladies looked at him, this man who they had only heard of and seen one picture of. To them it was like meeting a true legend. Sofia smiled when he smiled and it only grew when he bowed. He could be so gentlemanly, it was a wonder that he wasn't a noble in another life or something.

"No need to introduce yourself, Mr. Cedric," April claimed, holding up her hand, "Sofia talks about you all the time."

Sofia blushed at the honest accusation. "Oh yes, she goes on and on about how amazing and stupendous you are. It's truly our honor to meet someone of your magical caliber," Rain claimed, trying her best to curtsy.

"Well I...I'm glad to hear I'm so respected. I do hope you enjoy your stay here in Enchancia, I look forward to seeing what your school has taught you."

The girls all grinned at each other with bright eyes, then followed everyone inside, given a tour of the whole estate by King Roland himself. Just as Sofia had suspected it didn't take long for April and Amber to start talking and once they did, it never stopped. They were laughing together and squealing over things only they could understand. Rain found herself better suited to staying next to Sofia, though James initiated conversation with her. Cedric loomed behind, also preferring to stay close to Sofia. He leaned by her ear and whispered,

"They're like two gaggling geese."

Sofia couldn't help it, she let out a loud laugh that startled her mother and father. She had never laughed like that before. She put her hands over her mouth and tried to contain her chortling. "Sorry," She apologized, waving her hand dismissively, "Continue."

Roland looked at Miranda who just smiled at him and he shrugged. Sofia was always an interesting girl who laughed and giggled a lot, it didn't bother him so much. She was still chuckling behind her hand as her parents went on about the history within the castle walls. She looked up at Cedric, her eyes full of the light merriment she was feeling and saw his wicked smirk. He raised an eyebrow.

"You're awful," She told him, though it was a lie, she meant it in a joking way.

"Oh I'm awful, am I? My dear who was the one who was laughing like a crazed hyena?"

She bit her lip at him, still laughing but as quietly as she could. Thankfully it was dying down. Both Rain and James were looking at the two strangely. James just chalked it up to plain old Sofia silliness, though he felt left out of some hilarious joke. He went back to telling Rain about knighting, listing off his favorite knights. Rain was listening to him but understood very little, which was fine he explained it all. She'd have liked to have Sofia explain too but she was occupied. Rain didn't mind it but she did sneakily throw them a look, wondering what exactly they found so funny. She had an idea it had something to do with her sister. Despite her beauty she laughed with a snort. Amber didn't care at all, she was having the best time.

"It wasn't really nice of me to laugh but you started it. You're supposed to be a good sorcerer now."

He leaned close to her and whispered again, "Who says I can't be wicked from time to time?"

She blushed bright red and tried to hide it but couldn't. Instead she cleared her throat and looked away from him. He noticed this and then realized what was going on. His whispering in her ear must have set something off in her, triggered her liking towards him to skyrocket further. He was meant to be making it lower, trying to dissolve it slowly, but nothing was working, not that he tried anything. It was something he could not stop in himself, this nagging tugging in him to be this way with her. Years of closeness allowed him to make these kinds of remarks and jokes, to break some boundaries with familiarity. She held his hand sometimes and nobody thought anything of it because it was Sofia but if this was Amber, he'd be looked at under a magnifying glass.

Sofia's eyes widened and she excused herself, rushing towards the lavatory, still red in the cheeks. He felt she ran away because of what he did though he couldn't put the pieces together. Perhaps he overstepped things a bit but he thought he was just being his usual self with her. It seemed these days anything he did could make her face look like a cherry. How could he possibly try to be careful when even breathing would set her that way? Should he just remove himself from her? Distance himself? He'd be lonesome and it wouldn't stay that way, she'd come find him. She always did, even if he tried to hide she found him. He could just not talk to her but that wouldn't do.

He no longer wanted that sickly smiling prince to even go near her but Sofia did need some other person to distract her, make her stop liking him. It was getting to be too much. She found her way back to the group and started conversing with Rain. The whole rest of the tour she spoke barely a word to him, though she would look at him often. He realized he wanted her to talk to him otherwise he was just doing nothing. He had no reason to stay unless ordered otherwise so he just left, stalking back to his tower with Minerva flying after him. He plopped himself on his seat and laid his head in his arms. Minerva hopped onto the desk and pecked at his sleeve, trying to cheer him up. She wasn't sure what was wrong. The two of them were having a pleasant time, laughing and smiling, and now this. It made no sense. He pet her lazily, sighing.

"Why me? I'm not meant for her...can't she see that? Can't she see we are like night and day? It's just...she has to know this, she has to know it can't be that way. Why can't she just leave me alone?"

Minerva hooted sadly watching him tear himself apart with all the feelings he felt. She felt she knew what made him feel better. She was able to wind up the music box and let it play for him. The song usually calmed him down. He looked up at it, at first mystified how it could have played by itself but realized his feathered friend was trying to be comforting. Even the bird knew it was Sofia and Sofia alone that could calm the storm and yet she was the one making it. He watched the tiny little figurine version of her dance and he sighed. It disturbed him how much that music box helped because he started to realize it was because it was like she was there, dancing for his amusement, trapped in a little box. With just a turn she would spin for him and him only. He wanted to break the blasted thing but he hadn't the heart.

He forced it closed and shoved it out of sight so roughly it must have opened again because he could still hear the music but it sounded strange, disjointed. Fearful he actually broke it he opened the drawer he placed it in and saw the music box, sitting open with the little Sofia off her small spring. The music box had broken, but only the part that looked like her. He picked it up delicately, inspecting the little porcelain figure, all cracked and spinning in an odd jerky way, off the spring and on the spring so she kept bending to one side. He stroked over the figure causing tiny pieces of porcelain to crumble into his hand. For whatever reason he felt he had destroyed Sofia herself, had hurt her in some way. What was wrong with him? He was so angry that he broke something she had made just for him. Did he hate her or something?

"I'm so sorry Sofia...forgive me..."

Minerva looked at the figurine and at him. She found his wand and poked him with it but he ignored her. He was inconsolable, so much so that he must have forgotten he could easily fix it with a spell. Back downstairs the real Sofia was enjoying a meal with everyone, all enthralled because she'd be graduating soon. They were also all in good moods because the weather had been so nice recently, hot but with cool breezes, perfect.

"You know it's so good outside that I'm thinking we could go to the beach tomorrow," Miranda supposed, "Perhaps take a little voyage out to Merroway Cove?"

"Oh that would be the greatest! You guys will love it there, you can meet all the mermaids!"

"Real mermaids?!" April shrieked happily. "Oh I love mermaids!"

"So do I!" Amber exclaimed. "We really have so much in common!"

"Well it sounds like everyone's really excited to go. I suppose then it's all decided, tomorrow will be a beach day. Baileywick make sure the ship is all ready and make a list of all the required things for tomorrow."

"Right away your majesty." He bowed and was off to do his duties.

"Ooh I'm going to bring a big beach ball and we can play some games. I'll teach you both how to play," James commented with eagerness.

"Sounds like fun," Rain replied, "Though I don't go out in the sun much. I hope there will be beach umbrellas. I get really burnt easily."

"Oh don't worry we always bring a few, Baileywick is the same way and so is Cedric, you know when he ever decides to come. He hates the sun."

"He really needs to get out of his tower more often," Miranda remarked a bit solemnly, hating for anyone to be so cooped up like that. There was an elderly woman in the village just like that and when she finally went outside, she exclaimed she did not know how beautiful the world truly was.

"Let's invite him! He never got to meet Queen Emmaline or anyone else," Sofia gladly stated, clapping her hands together. The last time they went all together he seemed sea sick, miserable and forlorn somehow about something and tired too. He was also somehow wet, it must have been during the torrential rains that had happened. Regardless he needed this, to feel the sunlight on his face and breathe in the salty air. It did wonders for you.

"After lunch I'll invite him" Roland complied, taking a small bite of his beef stew. "Mmm, as always Chef Andre does a spectacular job and you girls are in for a treat. Dessert is going to be my personal favorite."

"We know, we know," All his children replied, "Jiggly wiggly pudding."

They all laughed at that even Rain and April who weren't sure what the joke was. The pudding was a big hit amongst the two girls and after dessert Sofia decided she would show them her room and then all her animals. She kissed both her parents before leaving then rushed off. Amber, who had grown to like April as much as she did Hildegard or Clio, followed after calling after them to wait for her. James put a big spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"Looks like Amber found her perfect match," He stated with a full mouth. Roland sighed, a bit annoyed his only son still ate and acted like he was a child.

It didn't take too long for Cedric to get a knock at his door and then for the knocker to let themselves in. He turned with a bit of a high pitched gasp seeing the king. He raised himself out of the chair and welcomed him in.

"What can I do for you today, your majesty? Do you need any potions or charms?"

"Not today. We were just having lunch when Miranda thought maybe you should get some fresh air more often."

"How kind of her ladyship," He earnestly remarked with a small smile. He always did like the queen, and of course she was Sofia's mother, they were alike in a lot of ways.

"Yes! So we all decided that you should come with us tomorrow, to Merroway Cove. It's going to be a lot of fun, sun, water, sand. You haven't been to the beach since we were boys. I think it's about time you go again."

"Me...go to the beach...? But I..."

"Oh come on Cedric, for old time sake," Roland pleaded, smacking him hard on the back in a friendly way, "besides Sofia will be disappointed if you don't go. It was really her idea."

"Of course it was..." He tried to sound pleased at this revelation but it might have come off as if he was told something distressing. It was an awful idea, an awful awful idea but his king had invited him personally, to say no would be beyond rude. He didn't like that people used Sofia to make him do things sometimes. Oh Sofia will be so sad if you don't or think of Sofia or don't you want Sofia to be happy? It was always about her. She was everyone's trump card, his one weakness, and like a sap he always fell for it hook line and sinker. Everyone knew Sofia was his only friend, he'd do just about anything to see her smile, and he loathed that everyone knew because that meant they could use it to their advantage. Even so in a lot of these cases it was on Sofia's request or her idea or something like that. Roland might not have said that if Sofia didn't come up with this plan.

She was being helpful, he understood that enough, Sofia was not the vindictive sort. She had no clue how he despised the beach, a lot of bad memories there, and it was so hot and sandy, the seagulls always annoyed him because they stole the food he ate, he always got a sun burn, and to top it off he was a dreadful swimmer. He recalled that he could swim when transformed into that strange octopus-like creature but that was second nature at being a sea animal. As a human he could only float like a log. He was ashamed to admit that he, a grown man, could not swim. A small child could swim laps around him. Plus the water was always too cold and too salty. It dried his skin. There was another thing too- swimsuits. He hated with a burning passion showing off so much of his skin.

He had all of one swimsuit and though it covered a good portion of himself it was not enough. He'd be tempted to wear his robes but that wasn't about to happen. He could only imagine what everyone would say, they'd see how skinny he was, how pasty he was, and remark about it, perhaps even, despite all his accomplishments, laugh at him. He knew he looked like a scarecrow. He thought of what Sofia would think, she would stand up for him, chastise everyone who dared mock him, she'd make him feel better about himself, give him confidence. She would not laugh, she'd...she'd probably swoon. That was just another reason it was a fool's errand to even think about going. Added to that reason was Sofia in her own swimsuit. He tossed that out of his head before an inkling of a thought even began. He had no choice, he HAD to say no but he also SHOULD say yes. Either way, no was safer. He could deal with the king being upset.

"Your highness I would love to but-"

"Great! I'll see you there Cedric!"

He pat him again on the back hard and started to leave. Cedric had to interrupt, he tried his best.

"King Roland wait please!"

"What is it?" He asked, smiling and looking at him, then he seemed distracted, staring at something else. He frowned deeply. "Oh Cedric the gift Sofia got you broke. What happened?"

He paled. He dare not tell the truth, that he broke it on purpose out of some sort of misplaced anger at himself. He did not feel angry at her. He could never. He loved her too much to even be angry or if he was to stay angry for long. "Oh it um...it fell unfortunately."

"Can't you fix it with magic or something?"

"Yes I can...I was just getting on that when you walked in."

"Oh great! I'd hate for her to find out. You know how she gets about you..."

"What...what do you mean...?" He cautiously asked, heart stammering in his chest. He was still paler than the whitest wax but not his natural pale color.

Roland was thinking back to a conversation he had with his wife about Cedric and Sofia's relationship. Miranda talked about how she thought just maybe Sofia liked him more than just as a friend or even as a part of the family. It wasn't like the others. Roland was oblivious to this, he shook his hand shooing the matter away but Miranda would not be shooed away so easily. She told him that it only made sense, what other male did she hang out with? Now Roland had thought about it. She had plenty of princes in her life; Desmond, Derek, Zandar, Hugo the list went on and even other boys her age but she seemed to only wish to be around one and that was Cedric. She had been the man's champion, his one girl cheer squad, the only one fighting for his honor when no one else could see he was worthy of it. Roland started to slowly come to it, it must be that his youngest had even a small crush on the guy. It was hard to believe, even impossible at first, because as much as he liked Cedric, considered him a good friend, family even, and a trusted member of the royal court, he could not say well what would attract a woman to him.

He was upset at himself for thinking that, that Cedric was unattractive, perhaps so much so it had shocked him that any female could like him. That wasn't right. Cedric was a decent looking person, and if in the right clothing with a bit more weight to him he could look even better. He shouldn't judge, his sister and mother looked similar enough to him and both were married to fine upstanding, well off, and decent looking men, especially Cordelia. It was his own daughter, though, his littlest one, the one who still was innocent, pure, bold and wise beyond her years but naïve too. He couldn't fathom her...and him...but he supposed, thinking about his own sister, Sir Bartelby was no fine catch, and he meant this in the nicest way, but just his voice alone...well, only Tilly was so odd that she'd find it beautiful. If that could happen...couldn't this?

He smiled again. "You know what I mean, Cedric. She thinks the world of you."

"Oh...yes...I know. I truly don't deserve that but I can say without fail it is the same for me."

Roland put a firm hand on his shoulder and surprised Cedric with a hug. It had been years and years since he last hugged the man, they were but children at the time, back when Cedric's hair was all black and his future seemed all bright. His eyes were wide as he was held by what was the highest authority in the land. "Cedric, my friend, you deserve much more than that for all you've done. Not a day goes by where I don't see her and think about you. Would she be here, smiling at me, going to school, becoming this beautiful woman if not for you? It hurts to think about it...but she could have..."

"Don't say it...I know what you mean...I cannot fathom the thought...it...is one of my worst nightmares..."

"You see I'm so glad she has you! You care so much for her and out of all of us she needs the most help. She puts so much on her little shoulders, she carries so many burdens and does so many dangerous things. I sleep a lot easier at night knowing you are there to watch over her."

"I...have no words...you give me so much praise...thank you, truly."

"No, thank you. Ah we should really talk like this more, it was nice actually. I guess we will tomorrow. See you then!"

He waved at him as he left and Cedric waved back, albeit a bit meekly. Now he really had no choice. He should and had to go, for his king, and for her. He turned around and saw the still broken music box then raised his wand producing the spell to fix it. It wound about perfectly, the music come out fluidly. He smiled. Sofia had been showing her different pets to the girls, starting with Clover who they each wanted to cuddle and pet. He seemed okay with it, though he could do without the squeezing. Then it was onto the birds and then Minimus. Each of them took a turn with Sofia flying on him. She had a special whistle to call Skye and when he came galloping out of the clouds the girls all gasped at him.

"You have a unicorn as a pet? Wow!" Rain remarked with joy as the unicorn galloped close to its owner for a pet. He was very docile as he let them all stroke his mane and even his horn.

"He's beautiful," April sighed, holding his head close to her, "I want one just like him."

"I know I want one too. Sofia if you ever find another unicorn be sure to tell us," Amber requested.

"I'll keep that in mind."

When night time fell all the girls stayed in Sofia's room including Amber, with pine cones in their hair just like she did with Jade and Ruby. Amber was so kind as to donate a tiara to each of them, she had a unicorn themed one sitting on April's head and an onyx lined one on Rain's head. April's feet rested on Amber's knees and she painted them.

"Your boyfriend Axel sounds like a true prince."

"Well, he's not really my boyfriend, I haven't introduced him formally to my parents but soon. Very soon. Yours sounds lovely too."

Sofia didn't know the first thing about painting nails but Rain did, since she was an expert artist, and painted her own. Sofia just sat there eating a s'more as she watched and listened in their little makeshift tent with fairy lights all around.

"Rain you said um...you have a love interest as well?"

Sofia winced. She wasn't sure how Amber would take this. "Oh yeah but...uh well..."

"My sister likes girls, is what she wants to say."

"Ohhhhh you mean she...? Oh wow...I've heard of that yeah...it's not very common around here."

Sofia was aghast. Amber didn't even care, she wasn't upset or appalled or anything. She just accepted it. It made Sofia cross, which she did not like being. How could she just sit there and accept that but have the gall to make her feel insecure for liking Cedric? She ate the rest of her s'more and put her head on the pillows, wrapping herself up in the covers.

"Sofia...are you tired already?" Her sister asked with concern.

"I don't feel well right now."

"Oh no, are you sick?"

"I just don't want to talk right now, alright?"

Amber was taken a little aback at the tone she wasn't used to hearing from her. She looked over at the other two and they just looked as baffled as she was. Sofia was nothing but mild mannered as long as they knew her. It must be she really wasn't feeling well to raise her voice. Sofia felt her sister rubbing her back and she felt bad. Her sister did care, she just...showed it differently sometimes. When it came time to bed Amber slept the closest to her, right across from her and through her half lidded eyes she could see her looking worried and distressed. Sofia opened her eyes slowly and Amber scooted closer.

"Are you mad at me?"

Sofia sighed deeply. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Yes...I feel like I upset you. I really don't like doing that."

"At least you don't try to, but Amber you do it more than you know. I understand you see things differently but it really made me mad that you could so easily accept someone else's unique love and not mine."

"I see...Sofia... Rain isn't my sister and she isn't a royal. I cannot impose on her life."

"But you can mine? How is that fair?"

"I just told you, you are my little sister, I have to make decisions that I feel are going to protect you and help you."

"Aren't I allowed to decide for myself?"

"We've discussed this. It just can't happen. Besides don't you like Francois?"

Sofia wasn't sure what to say. She did, she does, but there was what Princess Anna said and what she felt deep down in her gut. She could tell Amber but what would that do? It would just stir the pot. So she told her yes, she did like him but not that way.

"Give it time. He told me he really likes you and that he wants to visit this week, though he didn't say when. I know how you feel now but try a little harder, give him an actual chance. He is a great guy, I mean look at what he got you for Wassalia, you clearly mean a lot to him. Now Sofia, I'm going to go to bed, you do the same. Goodnight."

Sofia wanted to interject with so many things but she didn't. She curled up in her covers and let sleeping dogs lie, as the saying went, though she did not think of Amber as a dog. Morning came and Sofia was no longer bothered by anything anymore, today would be great. There was going to be a lot of fun to be had and she'd be able to visit all her mermaid friends. She got up, ate breakfast with everyone, and then washed up. She went through each swimsuit that she had carefully until she found the one, a two piece she had with the little bow in the front. She slipped it on then her cover up dress and soon everyone was ready to go. Baileywick had dutifully checked the boat, though Miranda gave it a once over too, and he had packed all the supplies needed including James's beach ball. Just in case he also packed a lot of toys used to play in the sand. Sofia stood there on the deck looking out at the castle for the one person she had been waiting for. Everyone was in swimsuits, even Baileywick who was now distracting her from her observations by handing her sunscreen.

She squeezed it into her hand and rubbed it all over, being aided by her mother to reach the place she couldn't. Then she saw him, looking like he wished he were invisible to the world right now, he was walking like a turtle trying to hide in its shell. She felt a little bad for inviting him since it made him feel so uncomfortable but her mom was right about him needed to leave the workshop. He was wearing still a lot of coverage but it was more skin then she had ever seen on him and it made her cheeks light up. It was dark purple with gray stripes across it and it fit loosely on him. She would call it a full body swim suit but not like divers wore. It was very stylish for someone like him but she liked it, a lot. She was still in her cover up when she fleeted to his side thanking him for coming, hugging him quickly then scampering away to her friends' side. He groaned as the sun peeked out from the clouds. He never felt so exposed in his life.

Nobody regarded him at least, save for Baileywick who joked with him about the fact that his gloves were still on. Cedric rolled his eyes and leaned back as the boat started to move. Sofia was all the way up front on the stern, leaning on the railing, the sun was sparkling in her eyes like it did on the ocean and the air blew her hair back. He blinked a little, watching her sigh happily with her eyes closed and cheeks flushed. She was like a figurehead come to life. The whole way there she chattered on with the others until at last they got there, Merroway Cove, and docked close to the beach. The chairs were being set up on the sand, one for each of them, and the umbrellas opened. It didn't take too long for Queen Emmaline to notice the large ship above her cove and recognizing it she told her two daughters to come with her to greet Sofia and the rest.

When the mermaids popped their heads up from the water both April and Rain gushed on about how fantastical this all was. It went without saying that both Cora and Oona grew up and thus they no longer looked as they did when Sofia was younger. Cora was curvier, her long dark hair now out and decorated with a seashell diadem and a coral colored top with golden flecks on it. She looked regal and that was only right since she would be queen of the ocean in future. Oona still had her hair in a ponytail but it was longer secured by her coveted jeweled comb. She wore a blue top with see through sleeves that reminded Sofia of jellyfish.

The mermaids all waved at the land dwellers and they waved back. Queen Emmaline was introduced to Sofia's new friends and after a little talk went to converse with the queen and king about the above world happenings. Oona and Cora bobbed in the water now alone with the two human girls who looked at them, amazed just by them swimming there. Sofia realized she was still wearing her cover up and shimmied out of it. Cedric had been sitting on a chair with an umbrella over him covering him from the sun's rays, sipping on a cool relaxing adult beverage with a little paper umbrella floating in it. He was not paying attention to this or the other, just trying to relax and enjoy himself. James was in the water, wading in the shallow end and playing with the ball by himself for now. Amber was still on deck with Sofia, not wanting to get wet so she stayed far away from James because he was prone to splashing. Everything was calm for now that was until Sofia took off her little dress and Cedric almost choked on the straw and simultaneously almost spit out his drink at the same time.

It was no revealing suit she had on, Amber's showed off much more because she planned to tan, but it was so much of her he hadn't seen. Her thirteenth dress had been too old for her and her body was still trapped looking twelve. She had bloomed within a year and girls keep growing until sixteen. Now she had more of a form and he had not noticed it until now. He was sure he was gawking and heaven have mercy on him if either of her parents saw him looking at her that way. He looked over to the side, weary about the peering eyes but they were paying him no mind, too engrossed in their conversation with the finned female in front of them. Miranda was giving side eye only to her husband because she knew he found Queen Emmaline attractive, she was just keeping him in check. His eyes went back to her and stayed glued there to her, the sunlight caressing her skin. She moved her hair behind her and he had to look away.

He chastised himself for staring, the amount of self-deprecation he applied to himself was massive. How dare he, how could he and that he was a swine, he was filth, he was a dirty old man. Yet his eyes went back up to her and noticed her eyes on his. She gave him a big smile and he gave her a very weak one back. He truly never hated himself more. She dived into the water and surfaced, swimming sneakily up to James then splashing him as revenge for all the years he had done it to her and Amber. The prince turned around and swam after her. Soon everyone was playing around in the water when Cora decided they should have a race, to the little island just in the horizon and back. James was convinced he could out swim Oona even though she was a natural in the water. April flagged down her pampered princess pal who sat there being fanned by a diligent servant. She waved back with her fingers.

"Amber come join us! The water feels great."

"Oh no April, honey, I'm fine up here. I'll just watch you all, besides if I join the teams will be uneven, won't they?"

It was true, if Amber was included the teams would be a seven not six. Cora, April and Oona were on one team. Rain, Sofia, and James on another. It was a bit unmatched with all the mermaids on one team but that's how James wanted it. Sofia didn't trust Amber to keep track of who won, if anything she might take a cat nap up there and though Baileywick would obviously keep an eye on them she thought today he should not work so hard.

"Mr. Ceeddddriiicccc."

He felt like he was drowning and he was nowhere near the water. "Y-y-yes? You c-called?"

"Can you be our referee? We're going to race!"

"Oh...sure...yes of course, as you wish."

He raised his wand, shaking a bit, but was able to produce a red flame after the count of three. They were all off swimming as fast as possible. There was no cheating or shortcuts allowed so Sofia could not transform into a mermaid but she was still a fast swimmer. The only one lagging behind on her team was Rain but she was trying her best and that's all that mattered. Of course the mermaids got there first, that much was an absolute but Sofia had almost beat them by just a hair. The six of them laid on the rocks, catching their breath.

"Phew! You guys are good!" Oona exclaimed, the most out of breath of all of them. She was still slender and small and had a tough time battling past the big currents. They sat there on the rocks for a long time and after finally taking a break they swam back, the race was not over yet. As they headed back it was a declared tie, with Rain getting a sudden boost of speed, trying to prove that she could swim with the best of them.

"Alright good race everyone! I think it's time for us to have lunch, Sof."

"Right. Would you like to join us?"

Oona nodded. "Sure, I'm curious to try human food. What about you Cora?"

"No thanks, I'll stick to seaweed salad."

Sofia sat on the large blanket and opened the basket, giving out the food to everyone. Roland and Miranda were served theirs and everyone ate together. As soon as Cedric was going to take his first bite a seagull swiped it from his hands. He shook his fist at it.

"Confounded flying vermin!"

Sofia noticed and went up to him. She knew the seagull well enough but all seagulls couldn't help themselves but to snag a meal. Feeling bad that his food was taken she offered up some of what was left over of hers. He took it without looking at her and ate, still avoiding all eye contact. She tilted her head. It was very obvious to her what he was doing but not why.

"Mr. Cedric...did I say something or do something wrong?"

"What?" Now he was looking at her, confused by her statement. "No never. How could you say that?"

"Because you aren't looking at me...except for right now."

He couldn't win either way, no matter what he did. If he looked, he hated himself if he didn't, she thought he hated her. "Sofia...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

She brightened instantly. "So you aren't mad?"

"Not at you, of course not."

"Wonderful. Would you like to come swim with us after you're done eating?"

"Umm...shouldn't you wait fifteen minutes before swimming after having a meal?"

"Mr. Cedric that's poppycock," She stated, hands on her hips, attempting to mock his accent.

He chuckled a little at her little impression of him then sobered up. "Well...I can't join you... even if I wanted to."

She waited until he was done eating but stood there, trying to understand what he meant but then she put it together. "Oh you can't swim, is that it?"

He placed one hand on her mouth then looked around her. "Shh! Don't say it so loud!"

Sofia went red as if she already had a sunburn just on her face. His hands were on her lips and it made her feel strange, like she had when he whispered to her. He released his hand instantly, putting them behind his back but Sofia took them in hers tightly.

"There's no need to be ashamed. I'll teach you, it's easy."

She was not going to take no for an answer and practically dragged him metaphorically kicking and screaming down to the water. Since he was so tall, he was able to go even in the mid shallow end up to his hips. It wasn't as cold as he thought it would be but it wasn't warm. Sofia directed Cedric carefully on how to do basic swim maneuvers. Instead of everyone jeering at him or picking on him they were all supportive of him and tried to help. If he sank but a little there was always someone to help him. When he finally got it, he felt accomplished and the look on Sofia's face made it all worth it.

"There you go! You're doing it! I'm so proud of you!"

He scratched the side of his face, a light blush dabbled his cheek. "Yes...um...you're as good a teacher as you are a student it seems."

"I learned from the best," She replied with a wink.

Amber was sleeping on her lounge chair, lightly snoring but still being fanned. Thankfully she was asleep because if she was awake, she'd be appalled and outraged at the way they were looking at each other right now, specifically the way Cedric was looking at her sister- like she was the most special, perfect thing in his world...and what was worse for Amber was, that was the truth.


	12. Chapter 12

The boat ride home was smooth sailing especially since Sofia was there by the captain's side with her compass in hand, pointing her finger north. Everyone was hot and due to that they were all tired. When they got home after a cool bath, they all took a nap. When they awoke, they all had a snack and then Sofia took the girls to the village to meet Ruby and Jade. They all got along just fine. The trio was all home before dinner time then after dinner Rain and April had to go home. Sofia hugged them both then waved them goodbye as their carriage left. She had thoroughly enjoyed their visit and hoped to see them again soon. Her day out at the beach had been just the start of her wild week.

The library went into over drive calling her two days in a row and then on one of those days she also had a mission to do from the protectors so she was slammed. She came home exhausted, only getting up to eat. That left her two days and she needed all two because Avalor was not just a jump away and she intended to stay for at least a day. She could not say no to the protectors or ignore her other duties but she crossed her fingers and anything else that she'd be free tomorrow. Hoping she would be she sought out to remind Cedric of their trip. Cedric was on his long ladder with his arm full of books, placing them on the shelves when he heard her knock. He couldn't well use his wand with his hands full so he just told her to come in. Sofia came in and received a small nuzzle from Minerva. She stood beneath Cedric just staring up at him for a while and watching him work.

"Need any help? I could hold the ladder if you want."

"You're too kind, dear, but I'm fine. Almost done here."

"If you say so."

She sat down upon her chair but close to him, just in case. He finished up what he was doing and carefully descended from the ladder, hit almost smack in the face with the sight of hers. He cleared his throat and dusted himself off.

"Well what is it?"

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about tomorrow."

"Hmmm...no clue sorry, definitely don't recall any trips to Avalor or anything."

"Oh well then," Sofia slyly started up, trying to best him at his little games, "I guess I'll just have to bring someone else who cares enough about me to remember such things."

"Clever princess. Alright, I give up. I know, I'm all packed and everything. I must say I'm kind of excited to see it all."

"It's going to be so good to go when there's no threats for me to handle," Sofia honestly admitted, stretching her arms behind her. "And it will be just me alone with my sorcerer. I can't think of a better day."

He averted his eyes and turned from her, acting like he was trying to find something or organizing his drawers. He had been going over it in his head, he would tell her to break this off, he would tell her gently as to not hurt her. She'd understand, she always did. He knew it would be hard for both of them but something had to be done. He didn't think he could take much more of the tension or accidental flirting. He really liked hearing her praise him, always did, but now it felt different. Everything was different and changing and he wanted it to end before things got too crazy. He also didn't want to ruin her trip either but if not now then never. She hugged him tightly, causing him to tense.

"Oh it's going to be so much fun! I can't wait for it!"

She had his arms pinned to his sides. He could not escape or pull her away from him. Not that he did so recently, usually he invited her cuddles, enjoyed them, but since she liked him so much, he wasn't sure she still should. That did not stop him from liking them and when she pressed her cheek against his, nuzzling into it he could not even stop his smile. He was able to free one arm and instead of shoving her off he pet her head gently, caressing over her hair. It was still short, just a touch longer than it had been in childhood. It made her unique amongst the princesses who all kept their hair long. He didn't even realize it, but he was now carding his fingers through her hair, playing with the end of her curls.

"That tickles," She remarked, giggling and retaining her blush.

He stopped immediately, hand frozen in place. What was he just doing? Why was he just doing that? More importantly what was wrong with him? He was supposed to tell her at some point to cease this strange obsession she had with him. It was all good and well to be his friend but to think she could be more. It was forbidden to even think about, at least on his end. Who knew what Roland would do or say if he found out? He'd be out of a job or worse, a one way trip to the dungeons where a certain black bird resided. He didn't think Roland an unforgiving type or someone who dealt out severe punishments. His father, yes, but Roland was simple. Yet this was his young daughter, the starry twinkle of all eyes in the land, the modest little angel. It would be seen as something twisted and evil if she liked him because he'd be blamed. Yes even now he'd be blamed for things that weren't his fault.

He didn't try to make her like him, heavens no. It was never his intention. He only meant to be a caregiver, a mentor, a close companion, a shoulder to cry on, arms open wide, whatever she needed except this. He could never be this and he never tried to be. He would have thought himself the opposite of any girl's desire, young or old or otherwise. Yet there she was, desiring him, and truthfully the thought that she did and was old enough to understand what certain desires were made his pulse race. How much further did this go? Certainly she only liked his appearance...as crazy as that was. She couldn't want him in such a way...but it must be so, if his thoughts were correct. Her girlish fantasies were now growing up. Who knows what she was thinking? He had to loosen his collar a bit, it was getting too hot in his own head.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to."

"Oh that's okay, Mr. Cedric, I like when you touch me."

He stared at her with round eyes. Did she really just say that, out loud, so boldly? She wasn't even flustered by the notion, at least not nearly as much as she should be. His darling princess was not so innocent anymore no matter how many times he told himself that. Now that he thought about it, even as a young girl she fluttered her eyelashes around him, which she was doing right now. He had thought her flirting all accidental but perhaps she meant to...seduce him. He could not think of her like that! Sofia was as sweet as they come, she wouldn't even know how to...but then again, she did live with Amber, and that particular princess was known to be a flirty one with princes. She could have easily taught Sofia a few tricks and who knows what others would tell her? Sofia was not a gullible sort but she did believe things easily enough, after all she had believed for years he was a kind, honest, noble person but then again...he was, deep down.

"Um...I...Sofia you shouldn't talk like that you know..."

"Hm?" She tilted her head at him and looked at him curiously. Those blue eyes kept piercing his soul and it made it hard to look back at her anymore. "Talk how?"

"Ahhh...well you see...Sofia you do know I'm a grown man and you're a...a..."

"A child...? Is that it?" Sofia huffed out, now less perky than she had been, in fact she was crestfallen. "I see...that's how you see me."

"No no no! You are a woman, certainly! Just a young one, is all."

"I'm old enough to know what I want, Mr. Cedric. I get tired of everyone assuming I'm some baby who can't make up her mind about anything or what I feel inside might be childish whims. When will I finally be treated like a woman? "

"Sofia..."

He swallowed a bit, surprised by her statement. She was opening her heart up to him and for once he wasn't sure if he could comfort her. She did not get frustrated easily, you had to really upset her to get her like this. It was apparent she had been pushed to her limits. He had seen it himself, no one around here gave her one hundred percent due respect. As soon as Amber turned thirteen everyone called her differently, everyone acted like at any moment she could be queen. With Sofia, since she was such a demure, carefree, bright, youthful, spirited girl they had continued to see her as such. Even he was trying to ignore her becoming older, wanting to keep her stuck in her form as a twelve year old or even younger. He had been noticing though, day by day, and at the beach he'd been slapped hard with the facts. She was no little girl.

He was not staring at his little Sofia in her violet garb and cherubian face. Here before him laid a young woman and still growing. How had she made such a leap from thirteen to fourteen? Heaven knew when fifteen came around she'd be at her peak. The sun rays shined in her hair, made her skin glow. Why Sofia? Why did Sofia have to grow up and look...like that? She made his stomach flutter and he hated it. She made his mouth drop and he hated it. She made his heart throb and he hated it. Sofia was a beautiful little thing and he hated it. How could he treat her like a woman? If he did, he'd no longer be preserving this image of her he was forcing into his mind. However it was one of his crueler tricks, trying to shroud her womanliness with the apparition of a child.

She was but a doll who he made to his fancy and he fancied her as doll like. Even women dolls still looked child-like. She did not and he did not want to face it. Here she was though, distraught that not just he but everyone was not facing it. He did not want her to be sad, her little pink petal lips were pouting and her eyes full of sadness. As she grew, she became more emotional, which was to be expected. She was still more mature than most her age but she could not help the hormones. It was all a part of being a lady, yet as much as she suffered the negatives she was not rewarded with a positive. He felt terrible for her sake. It wasn't fair or right of anyone, especially her truest friend, to treat her like that. He hated that even though he was an aging man whose gray hairs were starting to become more than his black hairs, his mother still pinched his cheeks.

"It hurts so much to know...that I'm a child to everyone and that I'll never be a beautiful woman like Amber or my mother. Never."

"Oh Sofia!" He exhaled, holding her tightly in his arms, pushed toward her in an act of instinctual protection and overwhelming emotions on his own part. He brushed through her hair again with his fingers, no longer caring right now. He needed to make her feel better, that's all he knew. That's what he was good at. Sofia always came to him to fix her problems, to make herself feel better, not even knowing that she had done the same for him. "No, don't say such things. Forgive me and try to forgive everyone else too. We are so used to your adult mind but not yet your adult everything else. You are our precious little Sofia and so for some of us...it's difficult to unsee that. Amber is so demanding, you know, that even if it was the same way people would have no choice but to bow to her. Don't compare yourself to her, please don't. Forgive me again but you are so much better than her, at almost everything. As far as getting the respect you deserve, if it isn't being handed to you then ask for it. Oh and one last thing, Sofia," He added on, lifting her face up to his. "I'm not sure about anyone else but in my eyes, you are a beautiful woman."

Her cheeks dimpled with the biggest, brightest, warmest smile she could muster and on those dimpled cheeks was the come to be common blush he expected of her. Her heart pitter pattered in her chest, dancing gaily about with what he told her. She felt she too needed to dance. The drive to do so was so fierce she felt she needed to leave to get rid of the sensation. That was one of the greatest things she had ever been told and one of the most uplifting. She would tolerate it no longer. People would see her as a grown person and she would make them see it.

She was not just a little girlish princess she was Lady Sofia of Enchancia, their savior, almost a female knight, she should be respected more. Not hailed or worshiped as a hero but certainly respected. She felt confidence in herself that she could be demanding without being rude or anything like that. Just let them know what she wanted and that she deserved it. She was so elated by what he had told her that she reached forward and kissed the very tip of his nose. Before she could become befuddled by her own actions, she claimed she had to go and skipped away, merrily humming her tune on the way out. He stood there stunned by that show of affection. He had no words, not a thought, nothing. He just stood there, his nose and cheeks reddening, trying to process what just happened. He usually hated his nose, one of the many things he was bullied for, but if she liked it enough to do that...then it wasn't so bad. Minerva hooted out a laugh at him which caused him to snap out of it.

"Oh hush..."

Sofia was lighter than air for the rest of the day, spinning around in the hallways, singing to her hearts content, not a care in the world. She picked up Clover and danced around with him, joy in her heart and voice. He didn't like being spun but she wasn't listening to him. Her Cedric said she was beautiful and a woman. She almost couldn't believe her ears. That was a good step in the right direction. At the very least if he didn't like her it wasn't because of her appearance. She had that comfort to hold onto. She had not done this since she was a girl but she went outside and plucked petals off flowers, watching them spread to the wind. Each time she came up with the result of "he loves me" and by the third time she was rolling around in the field of flowers, petals falling like snow upon her as she laughed. Cedric could hear her, the flower patches were usually outside his tower, and he watched the frolicking miss. He sighed deeply, smiling as he watched her, entranced by her somehow. She found him magical, for him it was the same.

He shook himself. "What am I thinking? So she likes me...so...so what? I don't...like her back, not at all. She's quite pretty, I meant what I said, but she is my friend. Oh I should have told her to keep it that way before she left. I should tell her now. Yes I'll go down there and tell her right now."

He was pacing back and forth by the window muttering to himself then was taken out of his musings by a heavenly voice. He peered outside seeing her flying horse nuzzle into her and she held tight to his muzzle. A little blue bird hopped on her finger and she started singing. He listened to her harmonize and her voice much like an apple was crisp and sweet. He sat there on the window side seat and laid his head on his arms. She was literally singing his praises, of how sensational and wonderful he was.

"Well...not right now..."

The next day was her awaited trip and she was beyond ecstatic. She had spent all evening and night packing. This morning the staff had taken her things to the carriage while she ate breakfast. No one seemed opposed to her going somewhere with him, just the two, no one besides perhaps Amber. She did not like the thought of them alone on some type of romantic voyage. Sofia told everyone that it was only fair, Cedric never saw Avalor last time and he should meet Elena though as to why that was important, she never said. If Amber wasn't busy, she would have offered to tag along and her parents would have come if they too didn't have plans but even if they didn't, they would leave her be.

She had talked with them for a while about how she was being treated around the castle and though it was hard they had to let her go and make her own decisions, do things her own way, make mistakes, live life, and have freedom to make adult decisions. If she wanted to go off somewhere it was fine, she did so anyways. Besides they both felt better about it knowing she wouldn't be alone. So to them there was nothing wrong with it. Amber wanted to try and convince someone else to go with them and she talked to James after breakfast was over.

"Why would I go? I've already been and besides I have...a...date. Going to take Zooey to see the pirate caves!"

"First of all, congrats, second of all can't you do it some other time?"

"No it has to be today. Why are you so bothered about this?"

"It doesn't strike you as odd...Cedric...Sofia...alone...far away?"

"No. They are always alone together. What's the big deal?"

"Oh come on James, you can't be that dense! Don't tell me you haven't noticed that Sofia likes him," Amber questioned harshly, waving her fan around in a heated way. She was talking as if she knew from the start when she had no idea until she was told. He scratched his head.

"Well yeah. I like him too. Doesn't everyone?"

"No you...ugh! She reaaaaalllyy likes him, like how you like Princess Zooey."

"Whoa...! Are you serious?"

Amber grinned in spite of herself. She felt finally someone else understands this isn't right. "Yes, she told me so herself. Now you know why I'm so upset."

"Actually...no. I still don't get it. I think it's brilliant that she likes him."

Amber's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out at what her supposed twin just said. James was accepting, sure, and ignorant sometimes, a fool most of the time, but even he had to know what was wrong about this, at least wrong in her mind. It baffled her that he would find this of all things to be brilliant. He must have lost his marbles.

"B-b-but how could you say that?! He's ancient."

"That's not very nice. He's only like...30 something...I think. What does it matter?"

"You are no brother of mine if you think that! Hmpfh!"

She stuck up her nose and walked away from him leaving him even more confused than before. Amber was not having any luck finding anyone who would go with them, even Baileywick. He didn't understand her either though she didn't tell him about Sofia's feelings. He trusted Cedric, he wasn't sure why Amber didn't. If only he knew it wasn't Cedric she had the problem with, it was her sister. So far it didn't seem to her that Cedric felt the same way. She huffed and puffed, trying to think up a plan but had nothing. That was until she was leaving out the door and she saw something in the sky that she recognized. It was a flying caravan. She smiled to herself as she hopped into Hildegard's carriage to go to her party. Hildegard assumed she was smiling because she was happy about the party, since Axel would be there.

She didn't know that there was something else going on, something that, despite Amber being a loving sister, was very wicked of her to do. Sofia was checking off her lists to make sure she had everything she needed and then after that was looking at a map of Avalor with Cedric. She took a quill and marked off the places she wanted to show him, telling him about them briefly. She almost dropped everything when the castle doors opened loudly. Startled but still calm she looked and tried to see who it was, thinking it might have been Amber or James having forgotten something. At that moment she would have taken anyone else but who was there. Standing in the door way and strutting in was Prince Francois, his uneasy smile on his face. She wanted to hide away from him but she also wanted to know why on earth he was here today of all days.

"Sofie! It has been too long since I saw your pretty face!"

Cedric scoffed and rolled his eyes. Sofia smiled a bit then got off her chair, curtsying before him. "Um hello again. This is a...surprise... Why are you here?"

"Didn't your sister tell you I was coming today? She is forgetful I suppose. Any who, here I am. So what are we going to do today?"

Sofia felt her like her world was shaking right now. She did not fully trust in him nor did she fully like him, he was on the border between the two. Even if he was on the best terms, she was not certain what to do. She had been planning this for a while and it seemed fate liked to hand her obstacles when she planned things. Should she tell him to go? That wouldn't be fair...and she had no evidence so far that he was evil. She laughed nervously.

"Well...the thing is...you see...I already have something I'm doing today, with Mr. Cedric."

"Oh is that right?" He asked, looking behind him to see the now standing figure cloaked in dark robes. Cedric raised an eyebrow at him, sizing him up while looking him down.

"Yes, that's right boy," Cedric all but hissed. Yet again Sofia's plans were being thwarted. Yet somewhere he was telling himself this was good, let her time be ruined, then she could go off with Prince whatever and stop feeling what she felt for him. This was perfect, wasn't it? It's not like he wanted to go with her...and see such a fantastic land where her amulet came from. It's not like he was looking forward to it. Impatiently waiting for it. It's not like he wanted to be alone with her, just soaking in the sights as if they were two lovers on a honeymoon. No...of course not. He would be all too happy if this prince took her away. Yet he also wasn't happy about it at all. Francois, to him, was a shifty eyed lout and something about him made his skin crawl. Still, he was a prince and he supposed he looked good, he was wealthy and somewhat nice. Cedric disliked him though, maybe even felt some hatred for him. Sofia didn't notice his aggression, she just stood there looking pale and unsure of herself. Francois smile did not falter not once.

"Well he is just a sorcerer I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I tagged along. Where is it we're going?"

Cedric almost took her map, rolled it up, and smacked him like a disobedient dog. How dare he just invite himself to something he wasn't invited to! Poor Sofia, she had to remain royal as always, civil and polite, charming and gracious. She could not say no to him, he was of higher station than she, sad as that fact was, and he had traveled far to see her. She took in a big breath, closing her eyes.

"I suppose...you can come...we were going to Avalor."

"Ah great! I've been there many times. I know all about the land, I can even speak the language a little," He showed off, placing a hand behind her back and pulling her forward. "Actually this is perfect, you know, because I was meaning to go there with you at some point."

"That's...just great..."

Cedric felt like he wanted to throw a tantrum, he knew it was not very adult of him but he wanted to. A small part of him wanted to not even go, let them be by themselves, it would work out perfectly, but a large part told him that even if that was so, that prince was not to be trusted. He'd destroy that boy piece by piece with his bare hands if he touched one hair on her head. No, he had to come, to protect Sofia if nothing else. He pushed between the two, bumping hard into the prince on purpose but not at all into Sofia. She could tell, his mood was sour and he was beyond annoyed. She would feel the same if not for her placid temperament. She had to remain at ease but not too much. She was on guard always and was glad Cedric was there to help her in case the prince tried anything. She doubted he would, there were too many witnesses. Then again, with malicious people it didn't matter how many people were there. Even though he was fuming he still opened the door for her, bowing before his princess. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Cedric."

Dark honey met light baby blue, attracting one to the other so hard that she stopped a little. Their pupils were affixed to the others, gazing deeply. "Of course, my princess. I live to serve you."

She went to sit down quickly so he would not see that she was flushed. He still saw and it made him smile. Oh how Cedric wished he could slam that door in the prince's face or that he didn't have to bow to him but he did. Francois produced a thank you as well, still not saying his name correctly. Cedric bit his own tongue, tempted to say the prince's name wrong right back but he didn't. He didn't respond with more than a light head nod. Sofia sat opposite of Francois, not near him, and had clearly scooted over to make room for her vigilant wizard, keeping her bag there until he came in. Cedric wanted to laugh in his face smugly but didn't, he just sat down, looking proud of himself. She wanted to be next to him not that oily haired prince. Still...he shouldn't consider this a rejoiceful victory. That meant she liked him far more than Francois, of which he knew already. If he didn't also mistrust him too, he would consider this a bigger failure on his part.

The carriage flew off and he stared at them with that unnerving smile. "It's so nice you two are so close to each other."

"Very close," Cedric responded, almost madly halfway tempted to touch her somewhere. Sofia gingerly kicked his foot in a shy but bouncy manner. He smirked at the spirited girl's actions.

"Yes I would say we are almost inseparable. He's always been there to defend me and teach me magic," Sofia replied back, staring at Cedric with admiration and affection while touching his pinky with hers. A reminder of their promise. The sensation made the end of his smirk twitch, but not in a bad way.

"What a good friend," Francois retorted, somehow using the word friend in a way that sounded even to Sofia a bit unfriendly. She shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat as he looked at her. "You have a true guardian at your side, it is a rare thing to find someone so honest... I've heard so many stories about bad wizards wanting to take over kingdoms."

Now they both shifted again, suddenly feeling in the hot seat. Francois took Sofia's hands in his and kissed them both. "I would be sad if something happened to my precious little gem."

Sofia withdrew her hands slowly, trying not to snatch them away. That phrasing made her feel so uneasy that it almost frightened her. She scrunched up her legs and leaned closely onto Cedric. Just his warmth felt more comforting than the person in front of her. Cedric was offended for her. They weren't even dating, how could he use such terms with what was essentially a friend or less than that? If Cedric was a worse person, and sometimes he still was it couldn't be helped, he might have cursed Francois to have his hands always feel like they were on fire. That way he'd never touch her again. He was so inappropriately handsy with her, even for a prince, and even if it was okay, she didn't like it. Couldn't he see that? Were the people in his culture so physical? Did he not know any better? Was there a language thing that made him say what he said? Whatever it was, even if it was all chalked up to his culture, Cedric didn't like it.

"Please, if you may, don't call me that," Sofia told him as politely as she knew how, trying not to upset him. It really wasn't what he said that unnerved her, it was just a phrase, but it was how he said it and how he looked at her.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Sofie. It wasn't my intention to upset you."

"I'm sure it wasn't," Cedric hostilely muttered to himself, unheard by the prince by Sofia heard it. She nudged him but this time it wasn't so playful.

"It's okay, Francois. Why don't you tell me more about your people for a while? It would pass the time."

Sofia listened to him with her hands laced in front of her, together but far away from his. Cedric wished he could hold her hand again and then the moment he felt that he mentally punished himself. Francois went on and on for as long as his vocal chords would allow him. Cedric felt he was going to go to sleep listening to the boring historical accounts of the Voumani people. He talked with such a dull droning voice and he was arrogant, this was at least to Cedric. He caught Sofia yawning a couple times and he knew it wasn't because she was tired. He'd bet she'd rather be listening to a magic lesson. They landed smoothly and were greeted by the staff of the kingdom of Avalor who took their bags. Sofia looked around herself, still amazed by this place, the scents, the sounds, the sights. A jaquin flew overhead, waving at her as it did. She waved back.

"Oh careful Sofie, those things are vicious."

"No they aren't," Sofia answered back, a bit upset at the statement. "They are a little mischievous but not at all vicious."

"Jaquins are usually easy to tame, like a big house cat," Cedric smartly enlightened to which it seemed the prince cared very little for but Sofia listened raptly, as always.

It didn't take long for the reigning royal of the kingdom to find Sofia. Elena in her garnet flamenco style dress came running, heels and all, down the stairs. She had finally grown but would never match the mental maturity she had from over thirty years locked away in her teen body but at least she looked older. She picked up Sofia and hugged her tightly.

"Ay Sofia! Mi amiga! It's been too long, chiquita."

"Hi Elena. It's great to see you again!" Sofia claimed from her tight embrace. Elena gave her a motherly kiss on the temple, marking her with a lipstick stain. Sofia seemed not to mind.

"I see you've brought more amigos with you."

"Yes. This is the prince of Voumani, Francois."

"Hola, es un placer conocerte finalmente," He suavely enunciated, bowing before her.

"Igualmente! Bienvinedos Francois."

"And this well...I think you already know, right?"

Elena sized up Cedric with a pursed lip smirk and raised eyebrow. He rubbed his shoulder nervously and shifted his eyes around. If he was correct in what he had learned she was trapped in the amulet a long time and could see what Sofia saw as well as hear it. This meant she saw him...and all the awful deeds he did and given her age knew more than Sofia what he was doing was wrong. Knowing this made his encounter with her awkward to say the least.

"Si, Senior Cedric."

He allowed her to say his name differently, he could tell it was an accent thing. When Francois said it, it felt like he was doing it on purpose to be mean. Elena went to him and hugged him too. "Bienvinedos! Muchas gracias for watching over mi princessa."

"Wha...wel...but I...you..."

"Senior Cedric, you are a good man. I knew that Sofia would help bring that out," Elena commented, placing her hand over his heart. "If I didn't know that I wouldn't have tried to get your attention."

"So you did do it on purpose!" Sofia cried out with a little gasp.

"Es correcto and look how well my idea turned out. I hear you two are the heroes of Enchancia."

"Oh I wouldn't say all that now..."

"She's right, Mr. Cedric. You are a hero, if not of Enchancia then certainly mine."

Cedric laughed in a high shy way, blushing at the statements said of him. At this point in his life he should be more used to compliments but he still got them rarely. This was partly because he scarcely left to go anywhere. He also knew he was good, sensational even, but hearing it was another matter especially from both princesses that had seen him both evil and good. He bowed deeply to Elena telling her she was most gracious to think so highly of him and that he was glad to be so warmly received in her kingdom.

"No problema. You are welcome here. Come, you must all meet the rest of mi familia."

Sofia walked eagerly behind Elena followed by the two males who accompanied her. Cedric was now in good spirits, plus it was a lovely place, full of vivacious colors and lively music. He could understand some of the language given his vast research on Avalorian culture, so he did not feel left out of any conversations either. Elena came to her throne room decorated with red and gold banners and paintings of the royal family. Two elderly people looked up and smiled seeing her. She gave them both hugs and kisses then introduced the party behind her. Esteban was also there with royal scrolls in hand, he had eventually been forgiven of what he had done and was welcomed back into their favor. They were all greeted and talked about their trip there.

It wasn't long before Elena's little sister, Isabel, came out of the library with a book in her hand. Isabel closed her book to properly meet everyone. Elena mentioned that she would love to show her group the market place so they could get ingredients for dinner. Just like Sofia, Elena was extremely helpful to the people of her kingdom and would do things that most average princesses wouldn't. Elena's grandmother wanted to put Sofia in proper Avalor styled clothing and so she went with her, waving to the small group behind her. Elena chatted with Francois and Cedric, who seemed to be at odds with the prince. Elena was far older than she looked and had seen Cedric's many moods, she could tell he had animosity with the young prince.

After talking with him for a while she felt something was strange and almost wrong about him. Also she just felt this presence in the air, as if she had met him before. Just when she was starting to think of where Sofia came back out. She was dressed in a simple frock of her favorite shades with dashes of pink and red flowers in her hair. She had ivory tights and dark pink shiny shoes with the faintest heel, also decorated with the tiniest rose. She wore small golden hoops in her ears, looking in her entirety every bit a little salsa dancer. She spun around for all to see, her skirts twirling with her. When she smiled with affection at Cedric between those red red lips his heart thumped hard causing him to grab his chest.

"Ay quelinda! That dress suits you. Gracias abuela, Sofia is muy bonita. Isn't she?" Elena questioned, turning towards the males behind her. Cedric loosened his collar. It was certainly hot in Avalor, that much was certain, but he felt that wasn't why. Francois spoke first, snatching the words Cedric dare not say right out of his head.

"Sofia is always lovely but she does look even more so in this."

She gave him a light nod then went over to Elena's side. She walked with her, arms linked together like they were sisters just as much as Elena and Isabel. They stayed in conversation together the whole way there, Sofia having much to tell Elena and vice versa. Francois stayed behind a little just watching the back of their heads but every now and then he would look at Cedric. Cedric didn't notice a thing. His eyes were solely on her. What was his issue? He felt sick staring at her like that but he really couldn't stop. He tried, he really did, peeled his eyes away to view some of the scenery yet as lovely as it was his eyes were always caught a flash of purple, a sliver of pink, a bit of copper hair bouncing in the wind. Her musical laughter filled the air, filled him.

"She really is something," Francois commented, hands clasped behind his back and looking at Cedric as if he knew more than he let on. "A man could have a million rubies, emeralds, sapphires but all would be given up for that amethyst."

"What is it you feel for her...?" Cedric boldly inquired, not liking the way he talked about Sofia at all. It was as if she was an object for him, just like the diamond tiara. Something to put away in his vaults and covet only like a literal treasure.

"I want nothing to happen to her, let that be said. I care very much for her. So, the same as you I suppose."

"I highly doubt that."

Sofia fanned herself with a lacy white fan. It was so hot that she would be sweating if not for that. If she was warm then Cedric must be sweltering in his robes. She turned to him to see he had a little cloud following him, blowing on him from time to time. He didn't want to waste arm energy fanning himself though he did own a fan. He noticed her looking his way and felt that same thudding feeling in his chest. He wanted to rip his heart out and toss it into the ocean. It was a vile betraying thing to him. She produced her wand and manufactured the same spell, only a little bigger so that Elena would not be hot too.

"Well conjured, my apprentice."

"Nothing to it! Actually it's one of the easier spells I learned in my school."

She was such an applied student, it pleased him to see her succeed and not just dabble in magic but to excel in it. Hexley Hall was sorely missing out and perhaps after they heard of her skill, they might regret not taking his word. He did not put her on a pedestal, she earned that position. She was a hard worker, stayed up all night just to learn, and never gave up- always applying the sorcerer's secret just like he taught her. She was the brightest in all her classes and the fact that she had learned under him was truly his greatest achievement thus far. That he could create someone of that potential- it validated his worth. He could not possibly be as shoddy as everyone had once said if he could produce such a worthy wand waver.

They all went through the marketplace gathering ingredients then headed back once everything was bought. Sofia was anxious. She wasn't sure if she would get the opportunity at all to tell her deepest secret. Perhaps this was a bad idea after all. At least she was having a good time thus far with everyone. Still...she had hoped it would be here- the sort of beginning of their origin. Without Avalor there would be no amulet and even she knew that at first that's what tied them together. If it couldn't happen now or tomorrow then it must wait longer. It would be difficult and cruel to do it while Francois was there, it might even break his heart. She couldn't do that, even if he was not exactly as he seemed but that was yet to be seen. After dinner they were separated, Sofia would sleep with Isabel and Elena and to his chagrin, Cedric would be in a room with Francois.

He didn't even attempt to look pleased. Not that he expected to be sleeping with Sofia. The thought made him want to faint. No that was too much to think about. He assumed though that they might get separate rooms. He did not want to be anywhere near that wide grin. Goodnights were said and he headed off, mumbling in an upset way under his breath. He had wished he brought Minerva but she might not survive in such heat so it was best she wasn't there. Still he might have had some company. Good thing their beds were far apart, he really would rather sleep in the deserts of nowhere than next to him like that. He watched him though, as long as he could manage, they watched each other. It was the creepiest thing Cedric had ever witnessed, those green eyes like the eyes of a predator in the dark and that smile more like a snarl of a wild beast. The shadows cast on him made him look less like a dashing prince and more like a sinister creature of the night. In the darkness nothing was as it appeared or perhaps it was exactly as it seemed.


	13. Chapter 13

[AN: Just a reminder, this is rated T for a reason. Some somewhat graphic things will be happening, including in this chapter. Younger viewers have been warned. Others, well, enjoy!]

Sofia slept well, the windows were left open to let in the cool night time air and she could smell the grasses and wild flowers just outside. She could also hear the frogs ribbiting and dogs barking. To her it was a soothing melody. However when she awoke, though she smelled the sweet scent of cinnamon from the confectioners in the market she felt this sense of dread. Something was wrong but she didn't know what. When she lifted her head from the pillow, she realized something awful. She touched her chest hurriedly and her neck. When she felt nothing there and just in case looked under her pillow and saw nothing as well, she let out a little scream. It wasn't too loud but it did awake her two female companions, both of which were light sleepers because they always had to be on alert. Elena rose with a start, also having felt even before that scream that something was not right. Her connection with the amulet was severed but she could sometimes still feel its presence. Right now she felt a lack of that, the power it held was no longer within that room but she couldn't identify where it might be.

"What's wrong?" Isabel asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "bad dream?"

"My amulet is missing! I never ever ever take it off, not even to go to bed."

"Ay dios mio! I knew it! I could feel something was wrong! Ohh...this is muy malo."

"You sure it didn't just fall off or something?" Isabel sleepily inquired, not awake enough to process the importance of the matter.

"I'm positive. I've flown on dragons and had it tugged on hard by a weasel. It never came off then. It has to be...taken off...oh...oh no!"

Sofia lept up from her bed and hurriedly got dressed, one of her shoes almost fell off as she ran down the hallway. She called Cedric's name loudly down the hall stirring the man up. He was used to waking up early and sometimes getting his sleep disturbed by people but this sounded like an emergency. She sounded in panic. He barely took note of anything as he dressed himself and answered the door, finding her there already somewhat out of breath. It didn't even take long for him to notice, even in his semi-groggy state, the thing that was missing. How could he not? Years of lingering on it alone would have shown him that but without it, Sofia looked somehow not herself at all. She was known not to take it off, the last time she did something terrible befell the kingdom, and it was not a flimsy piece of jewelry, it didn't just pop off of her.

"Y-y-your amulet... it's gone!"

"I know that's why I'm here!" For a moment he feared she might think he took it, which he absolutely did not and would not. He would rather cut off his own hand than even touch the thing again. It was hers and hers alone and he would not betray her. She realized that's how it looked so she quickly added, "Where is Francois?"

Cedric was about to say he was right there in the bed but when he turned around the bed was empty. He stared at it with burning eyes, putting two and two together quickly. He knew it! He just knew that he wasn't to be trusted! He snarled a little but calmed somewhat when Sofia tugged on his sleeve.

"He's not there...is he?"

"No...I'm sorry Sofia, I should have kept better watch on him. I didn't trust him the moment I set eyes on him and I let this happen under my supervision."

"It's okay, Mr. Cedric. You obviously tried your best but right now what's important is we try to see if he's still here. If he's not then...I don't know what to do..."

"I could try tracking him, all I need is a hair of his."

"That's great. If all else fails we'll do that. Come on, let's get everyone up and look for him."

Sofia was running back to the room to get Elena and Isabel but both girls were running towards her with dread all on their faces. Sofia knew it must not just be because of her amulet something else must be wrong.

"What's wrong Elena?"

"Sofia, I was getting ready and I realized that something of mine is missing too. My staff, I usually prop it in the corner of the room as close to me as I can or put it on a little holding place on a desk. I never let it leave my sight, it's muy importante!"

"He must have taken that too...but why...? Isn't my amulet enough?"

"Who knows? It doesn't matter. We have to get it back or all of my city, my people, and yours too, they will all be in danger."

Sofia had assured herself no one besides someone with good intent could use her amulet but she didn't know the rules of Elena's staff or what Francois goal even was with both of them. All that mattered was finding him, at least they hoped to find him. At first, they thought to split up but in case one of them should find him they shouldn't be alone. So they stayed together. Cedric had made sure beforehand that he had his wand and Sofia saw that she had hers. So at least they had magic on their side if nothing else but he knew they both had wands. Why didn't he take them? They were going to the throne room to alert the guards and also make sure her grandparents were okay when they saw someone on the throne who didn't belong. It was Francois, polishing the gem that adorned the staff. He looked casual, as if he belonged there. His eyes sharply shifted from staring fixedly at the sparkling adornment to the people before him. His smile now was all lips but no less sinister. He was laying across the throne with his feet and legs hanging off the side of the arm rest, looking bored at the group.

"Ah hello again, princess. Sleep well did you? Must have because you didn't even feel me take off your dear amulet."

"Give it and Elena's staff back, Francois. Now," Sofia demanded, raising her wand to him. He laughed at her.

"You think I'm scared of your pathetic little stick? Don't you realize what this staff alone could do never mind the amulet but that's not why I wanted them. I told you, I'm a collector of gems of all sorts and none were as rare as the three jewels of Avalor. Well I can't have one of them, thanks to Elena but two out of three isn't bad."

"So that's it? You just wanted another piece of jewelry for your collection?!" Elena yelled, outraged by all of this. He snickered this time, shaking his head.

"Well yes and no. I can't use the amulet so it will make a nice decoration but I can use your staff and with it I will release the rightful queen of Avalor- Shuriki."

Elena's eyes widened hearing that name again and so did her sister's and Sofia's. That woman had taken over and tried to take over Avalor one too many times. Elena thought she had gotten rid of her for good last time but apparently not if she could still be released from the spirit realm. The powers of her staff were mighty enough to do so and if Shuriki got a hold of it she could corrupt it, use it to reign over the kingdom as she had done before. No one wanted to think of what she might do to the people, to them, if she got out. Elena would not let that happen again, this was her city, her land, her people, her throne, she would not let them fall into the wrong hands. Fearlessly she stepped forward, preparing to take him on, joined by her side by those around her. She didn't have much to fight back with but they would fight until they could not. She wished her sister didn't have to be here, that she could go somewhere and hide or go get help but it was too late. They were all there together. Cedric and Sofia had their wands at the ready. Sofia didn't know as many spells as she would like to attack people but she could defend herself from dark magic. She hoped it was enough.

"What I don't get is how you know her and why you would want to let her free."

"Oh well like you Elena, I am much older than I appear. I'm also not a prince, I'm not even from Voumani. If that silly Amber did any research, she'd realized that Voumani had no royalty, they are a free people. No that was a lie I fabricated. I'm actually from here, yes right here in Avalor. My name is Fadile and Shuriki was and remains to be my aunt."

"But...she doesn't have a brother or sister..."

"That's where you are wrong. She had a brother but they never spoke, he was on the side for good and when he heard of her rule he left, never returning. He passed on before he got to see the rule of Elena once more. My mother had wanted to come back, that was her home, and like her or not Shuriki was her family. So when we came back at last and saw that she no longer ruled we sought her out. She at first wanted nothing to do with either of us but when I showed potential, she taught me her ways. She was more a mother to me than the one I called my own, and she took me in like a son. My mother grew envious of our bond and of the power she was not willing to share, so when Shuriki saw she might betray her she had to send her away-permanently."

"You mean she..." Sofia gasped in horror, eyes round and hands on her mouth.

"Yes and I don't regret it."

"You monster! How could you say that about tu madre!" Elena bellowed, beside herself with rage. She had lost her mother and father to this person's aunt, watched them perish before her eyes, and then was locked away in an amulet for so many years. It was a nightmare. Here he stood having his own parent destroyed and he felt nothing. "You cold, ruthless, animal! She was your familia!"

"And so was Shuriki. She was the only one who truly cared about me and she promised to make me a prince when she got the crown. I stayed behind during most of her schemes, waiting, practicing, stealing, serving her. Then you took her away from me and for that I will never forgive you, any of you. Now I will finish what she started, beginning with you, Sofia. If not for your snooping then Elena might have stayed in the amulet for good."

Cedric stepped in front of Sofia protectively, wand still raised and eyes full of fire. He would not stand for anyone hurting her. He already had previously not liked him at all but now he loathed him and if he must summon that spell, the spell that would taint him forever, then he would. If he had no choice, he would end his life without the wand. Now the so called prince was interested, moving in the throne so he was properly sitting.

"Do you wish to die so early, Cedric? I know all about you, what you've done in the past, and I know you have untapped power behind that wand. You could call all the forces of evil with one flick if you tried. The very elements of the earth could be molded by your might but you chose to waste that on protecting her. Think of what we could be together, all our forces combined could take over ten kingdoms."

"I'd rather end my own life than turn my back on my princess or my kingdom," He admitted with honesty, wand tip glowing a hot red color.

"Suit yourself," Fadile shrugged off, raising the staff of light now equipped with a shard of the staff of night. As to where he got it, when he got it, and all other questions in-between nobody knew. The crystal on top glowed a strange color between black, dark purple, and teal. They both announced a spell at the same time, beams of light shooting off at each other creating a giant dust cloud. Sofia was knocked back by the sheer magnitude of the force of those spells combining. Elena was coughing as she searched in the cloud for her sister and Sofia. Her ears were ringing and she could scarcely hear her own voice. Isabel was searching for her too, covering her nose and mouth as she looked for a streak of red within the dark cloud. The sound of thunder echoed around everyone, loud crashing thunder and bolts of lightning struck the ground. Sofia shrieked as one came close to her.

She had no idea what was going on, if Cedric was okay, if Fadile had been captured or worse. She had never seen this happen before and assumed it must be the result of two forces of magic crashing into each other. She did not know if Cedric used a simple binding spell, freezing spell, stop spell, or otherwise but she wagered no. He had most likely summoned his most powerful, aggressive, and darkest spell he could muster. She did not like him using such magic, the kind that could harm someone like that, but in this scenario, she knew he had no choice. She could not see in front of her but tried to use the lightning as a light source. Whenever it struck, she peered into the cloud, hoping it might illuminate a figure. Elena was found, hurdled up with Isabel, having found her at last. She was covering her head protectively against her chest. Sofia scurried to them as fast as she could.

The cloud was starting to thin but Sofia had no time to look around for anyone, she had to get to them. If she had looked, she would have seen that both men were still alive, battling it out wand and scepter burning hot with the spells they cast. Cedric was concentrated on his task, so concentrated that he almost missed the little nudge to the left the scepter went. He didn't know what spell he would utter but he could see now who it was aimed at. It was no longer pointed at him, it was now pointed at the running Sofia. He had no time to think, he only knew what he must do. He would let no harm come to his dearest princess. So he sprinted as fast as he could over to her, leaping towards her and grabbing her tightly to his chest, his back baring the full front of whatever spell was fired.

It was like slow motion for Sofia. That light like a flash almost blurring her vision and the warm body of Cedric hovering over her, holding her to him as if his life depended on it. Then the look on his face, pure shock and agony displayed everywhere she could see as he was struck. Then there was something hot dripping on her, hot, thick and smelled strangely of vinegar. She had been clinging onto his robes like a buoy in the sea and she realized now what that liquid was dripping down her arms and onto her dress. Her hands looked like she had dipped them into red paint. Red was everywhere in droplets and in little splatters. Her voice caught in her throat in a shrill cry realizing with full force what had happened to him. Tears ran down her face and yet as they did not a sound seemed to come from her that made any sense. Just off beat breathing patterns, high and short, choking sounds and squeaks. His body plopped down upon hers like he couldn't hold up his own weight anymore.

The pure horror of it all was displayed in front of Elena who shielded it from Isabel. She was too young to see such travesties. She felt then there was no hope for them unless they ran and got someone and even then, who knew what he would do? She couldn't leave her sister and she didn't want her sister to leave her and Sofia...she was in no state to be told anything. She was in hysterics. What could they do besides hope for a miracle? Sofia held him tightly to her, trying so hard to find a pulse but her hands were shaking violently. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see. All she could feel was the heat of him leaving, dripping down in red rivers upon her. Her Cedric, he was gone. He had given his life for her and this time there was no going back. He would not live to smile at her again or laugh or make remarks or play with her. She would no longer hear his accent or see his passion flare up in his eyes or watch his magic. It was all over. While sobbing, overcome with more grief than she had ever felt, she buried her face into his neck and then stopped, feeling something on her ear. It was light breathing. Then she felt him move ever so slightly.

"Please don't cry anymore princess. It breaks my heart to hear you cry."

She didn't know what she was supposed to feel or do. She stood there frozen, unsure if this was his last dying breath or if he was somehow, some way, okay. She didn't move an inch, just held him to her, not wanting to ever let him go. Despite what he said she could not stop the torrents of tears that poured from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry you had to see all this, Sofia...you should have never had to bear witness to this."

"A...are...y..y..y..you...?"

He lifted himself up a bit from her, just looking into her eyes and nowhere else. He could not stand to look at anything else, not her face, not her skin, not her dress or her hands or even her mouth. All had some little droplet of red on it and it made him ill to know his sweet little princess had to suffer something so horrid, had to endure such a thing as this, had to sit there lying underneath the barely breathing form of someone she cherished. She had already lost her father and almost lost him more than twice yet each time he was unscathed, nothing so bad as this. He could not stomach the way she looked right now. It was something he wished he could erase from his memory, it hurt more than seeing that face she made when he betrayed her, when he denied their friendship. He knew he would be scarred for life, literally and mentally, because of this and so would she. They'd have nightmares for a long time to come and no matter what he did he could not erase the alarming face she was making, those tears mixing in with the red to make streaks of pink on her, the sounds of her crying in his ear. He did not wish himself dead but he had felt like he had died just hearing that alone.

"Oh you're still alive I see," Fadile commented, still twirling the staff in his hands, picking which one to do away with first Isabel or Elena. It appeared he'd have to handle this magician before anyone. "You're tenacious."

"You're damned right I am," Cedric affirmed, standing up as much as possible, Sofia helped him letting him lean on her a bit. "and for torturing my princess in such a manner you deserve no less than what you almost gave me!"

"Let's not start this again, it will just end the same way."

"Oh no not this time. This time...I will kill you."

Sofia had never heard Cedric's voice so full of venom like that but of course she had never been around him when he was alone and before he was truly turned for the side of good. It would have easily frightened her if it was not directed toward someone like that. Cedric asked, more like begged her, to close her eyes. He did not wish her to see more death. It was unnecessary for a princess, especially this one, to see so much so soon. She did as he said, putting her hands over her eyes but she still wanted to look, in case he could not accomplish this. He was still not well. She believed in him though. He could do this. Elena did the same for Isabel and closed her own eyes. As much as she disdained this vile, wicked, deceitful man she did not want to witness another death in her castle. With all eyes shielded Cedric could properly produce his spell and he would make sure he would not miss.

A crimson light engulfed the palace visible even to those who were just outside the castle. All the guards were notified with all the noise and rushed towards the throne room, Mateo, Esteban and anyone else in the vicinity also rushed forward. A metallic sounding thud was heard and a little tinkling sound like something small was dropped too. There was a smell of something burning, ash, and electricity. It wasn't pleasant especially when mixed with the overwhelming smell of blood. Cedric stood there for a moment contemplating what he had just done. The tip of his wand was smoking, a little black fog was curling out of it almost shaped like a skull. He felt his arm and fingertips almost were numb from the heat it produced but the numerous amounts of pain he felt scorching in him was nothing compared to the pain he felt knowing what she had just gone through. He would give up anything to turn back time and have that erased from his head.

He had done the one spell no wizard should do but some just had to. Mostly very malicious types would come to this but very very rarely did a benevolent type do this spell. He knew there was most likely another way around this but he had been livid and trapping him would not have been enough. Always these villains got out again. He could not let someone who had forced his Sofia to see something so heinous live. Sometimes, just sometimes, this spell was the only option but regardless of intent the result was always the same. He was marked for it; all magic users would know even without seeing the mark what he had done. No royal sorcerer had ever carried this mark, none that he knew anyhow. He'd be ashamed of himself if the scoundrel didn't deserve it and worse. He had heard the worse it was the more obvious the marking which usually meant somewhere on the face or hands but he didn't feel it there or see it there. He didn't care where it was, really. It had to be done.

He blew off his wand, morosely staring at the little skull in the fog fading away. He sheathed it, breathed then asked them to open their eyes. He dare not turn around. He still could not bear to see her, her lovely face, her pretty clothes, her lightly tanned skin...all covered, all doused, all painted, all colored with that awful disturbing hue. Sofia opened them and saw her amulet lying on the floor along with Elena's staff. She did not know where the wearer of those objects was but she didn't care. He was gone that's all that mattered. She felt the stiffness of the blood drying on her and her dress was soaking it in but she still hiked it up properly and went to fetch her amulet. She placed it back on her person, feeling a weight go off her shoulders. Everything was as it should be...for the most part. Cedric was not looking at her at all, he was grimacing and turning away as much as he could. She wanted to hug him, hold him, love all over him, let him know how happy she was he was alright, and that she was so thankful but he put up his hand.

"Please...don't touch me...not...while you look like that."

Sofia understood. He was not being cruel to her, he was clearly distraught about everything that had happened and so was she, which is why she wanted to hold him. It would have to wait. The guards came rushing in and saw what was before them. The Enchancian princess was splattered with blood, their own princess was still holding to her sister, covering her eyes, the royal staff was on the ground, and the sorcerer stood there looking solemn as the grave. Elena explained everything to them as much as she could as fast as she could because she wanted Sofia clean and Cedric tended to. Both were taken care of immediately. Sofia's dress was forever stained, it could no longer be worn they said but thanks to her knowledge she learned in class she could turn it a different color at least. It would no longer be lilac but buttercup yellow.

She put on her semi-new dress and was given a once over to make sure she had suffered no injury. She just had a minor cut on her nose and a scrape on her elbow, knee, and cheek, nothing a bandage didn't fix. She was pointed in the direction of the infirmary where Cedric lay. She found him there lying on a small rectangular white bed with bandages going from his fingertips all the way to half of his chest and a little of his ribs. He was lucky, if the beam from that spell shot any closer it would have hit his heart, stopping it instantly with the shock. Thanks to his height and quick thinking, both he and Sofia were spared. She had come in just when he was putting his shirt back on and she pretended like she just arrived when it was finally on. She had not meant to stumble in and see his bare chest but she did and if not for the terrifying ordeal she went through she might be more flustered.

He was able to now look at her while he tied his tie, smiling sadly at her but no less warmly. He got up to put on his vest and she stood there in front of him, moving his hands away to button up his buttons and retie his tie better. He just watched her work with her little nimble fingers, wanting to be helpful to him in some way or another. He stopped her hands when she got to his tie. She released her hands and wrapped them around him but not too tight for fear of injuring him. He ran his unbandaged hand through her hair trying to soothe her, rocking her gently in his arms.

"There there now, love, it's alright. I'm okay."

"I know...but you really could have...died...and I'd be lost without you...I really would. Please don't scare me like that again."

"My dear, you have to realize that I would do it all over again if it meant saving you."

"No I can't have you dying on me! Please promise me you won't do it again!"

"Sofia...if I lost you...I'd be dead anyhow. You can't make me promise not to protect you."

"But what if next time you don't make it...what if you-?"

He put his finger to her lips then gently went upwards to caress her nose and cheek where he could see some light damage done. Even the small cuts made him ache with sorrow. "I'm here now, Sofia, and as long as I can as much as I can I will always be here for you. Always and forever, eternally your faithful sorcerer."

"...Mr. Cedric...I...thank you...thank you so much."

Sofia stood just a bit higher and planted a soft kiss right on his cheek then turned her head hearing her name being called by Elena in the hallway. She excused herself and went away leaving him there. He touched his cheek and felt his heart melt for her, sighing gently as he recalled that feeling. He dressed himself fully, putting on his freshly washed and dried robe, then headed out the door feeling chipper and peppy. He wasn't bothering himself with whether or not her kiss was a bad thing or a good thing, but after all that trauma he just let himself enjoy it, let himself get swept away by that moment. They parted from Avalor with heartfelt goodbyes and gifts, well wishes and get better cards. As they flew off into the sky Sofia felt her amulet shake a little and saw it glow. She peered at it for a while but did not understand why it did so. It seemed to glow in pulses, like the beat of a heart.

Cedric looked at it and then at her, confused at it too. "Perhaps you have a new power...?"

"Hmm...but I don't even know what it is..."

Something in her, a little voice, told her what it might be. She supposed her connection with the amulet was so strong she could now hear its voice even without a person locked inside. She lifted her hands and touched Cedric's chest, watching her hands glow a golden shade. He felt his wounds healing faster than they had been, in fact he felt as if he never had been hit once. He rolled his shoulder a bit, amazed at this new power she had. It could not take away that stinging mark he wore or the burning in his finger tips from the wand but it had fixed nearly every other issue, even the crick in his spine from years of hunching over. However he would still wear the bandages because of how badly injured he was, even magic has its limits.

"You can heal now. That's a handy gift to have."

"Yes but...it will only work on you. No one else."

"Oh...how are you so certain?"

"Watch." She took her finger and pressed it to her nose but her hands didn't glow at all, the scar remained under the bandage. She showed him as proof. "See?"

"But...why me only...? Wouldn't it be more useful if it helped all people, including yourself?"

"I think it's because I had wished deep in my heart that I had some way to keep you safe from harm so that this would never happen again. I have you to always protect me and the amulet and so many friends but you don't have anyone. Now you do, you have me."

He smiled at her and took her hands in his, seeing a light golden glow. There was nothing wrong with is hands that he knew of but he felt better somehow. She did not tell him all that her powers did because she'd have to admit something to him and right now was not the time. You see the reason it worked just for Cedric was not just because of what she said, though that was a large reason for it. The reason it worked for Cedric was because her amulet reflected her heart, that's why it pulsed, so in turn it now not only protected the wearer but the person who was the wearers one and only true love.


	14. Chapter 14

The look on Amber's face when she was told the whole story was pure mortification. Everyone was disturbed by it but none more so than her. She broke down, disconsolate.

"Oh Sofia it's all my fault!" She claimed, clinging onto her sister tightly. "If I hadn't butted my stupid head into your business none of this would have happened!"

"Amber please, don't call yourself that. You aren't stupid at all you were just trying to do what you felt was the best thing for me."

"But it wasn't! I didn't even ask you or care! And I am stupid, I should have known that there wasn't a Voumani king or queen."

"We all make mistakes, Amber," Sofia soothed, trying to placate her sister who blubbered onto her.

"Yes but mine almost cost you and Cedric your lives! I'm so so so so so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Of course I forgive you, Amber. You're my sister and I love you and I know you love me. You didn't know who he truly was, he fooled us all. Just next time, please respect my wishes, alright? I am going to be fifteen soon you know."

"I know...I've been foolish..." Amber admitted, wiping off her tears with a white anagrammed handkerchief. "And selfish too...and needlessly cruel to you in particular, Cedric. After all you've done, I should have treated you, no both of you, with more decency. I'll be a better person from now on, I swear on my crown."

Cedric forgave her, though he had a lot of words to say to her for picking someone that she knew nothing about. It was Sofia's life she should pick her own suitor, if the time came for it. He did not blame her, this would have happened regardless, she just helped it along without knowing. No, he could not be mad at ignorance. After so much that happened today everyone needed a good rest but Sofia found it hard to sleep in her bed, she tossed and turned, the images in her head from just that morning were playing over and over again. No amount of comforting from her pet helped her. She got up and paced a little before deciding what she should do. She knocked on Cedric's door who seemed to be just on the other side, like he was waiting for her. She noticed he was in his nightgown, she had seen it a few times and she rather liked it.

"Can't sleep either, huh?"

She shook her head no with a worrying expression. "Could I...sleep in here...? Not in your room I mean just on the sofa...please?"

He sighed a little, releasing his tension over this subject and what it brought about. 'T_o hell with it all_,' he thought, '_after the ordeal today I haven't the strength to deny her anything_.' He opened the door further, gesturing inside. "I cannot refuse a request from Lady Sofia."

She giggled sweetly at the title, knowing he had used it just to make her happy. She scampered over to his sofa with excitement, having never slept in his tower before but always wanting to. Of course most of all she wanted to sleep next to him but that might not happen, at least not now. Asking him seemed like asking too much. He always kept the window opened for Minerva and it was good for Sofia since the moon gave her some light. He went to the little closet and brought out the spare blanket and laid it over her, gingerly tucking her in. She reached for his hand to stop him from going anywhere though he wasn't going to move.

"Stay here a little longer."

He had every intention to. He took a small padded chair and scooted it close to her, resting one leg on the other. She was looking at him with her glittering ice blue eyes under her long eyelashes, smiling contently as her cheeks turned just a shade darker. He moved her hair from her face, caressing her forehead over and over until she went to sleep. After she did he whispered to Minerva, for he knew she understood, to watch over her and let him know of any changes. She nodded and he went up to his room, stealing looks at Sofia the whole way up. He left his door open so he could hear her. They both slept soundly knowing the other was very near. She awoke slowly almost forgetting where she was for a moment then looked at the clock. She still had time to eat before the carriage would come. She smelled tea brewing, Cedric was awake. She shuffled about in her covers seeing him yawn as he poured the tea into two cups. She noticed in one of the cups he put a lot of sugar and cream. She knew then that it was meant for her.

"Good morning Mr. Cedric," She called out cheerfully, rising from the sofa and hugging him from behind. He tensed a little though not because he didn't like it, it was the opposite mixed with surprise.

"Well yes...it is a good morning, isn't it? Sleep okay?"

"Yes! I dreamt I was dancing with the mice in the hallway," She answered, still holding tight to him.

"That would explain why you were laughing in your sleep. I thought I might have gone a bit barmy there for a minute. Are you going to let go of me at any point?"

"Hmm I'll think about it."

He looked at her with a grin and she grinned back at him. She let go of him and took the tea cup, sipping it loudly while looking at him.

"A princess does not slurp her tea," he instructed, reciting something she had heard in Royal Prep all her life.

She sipped it a little louder causing him to chuckle at her. He drank his tea with her, though he did not slurp it as she did. She checked the clock again. "Ooh I'm going to miss breakfast if I don't hurry up. I'll see you soon, Mr. Cedric!"

She reached up and kissed his cheek and then rushed off. He blinked, warming up and swallowing his tea hard. If that was her new version of hugging then he didn't know if he would ever get used to it. However he wouldn't complain...he did like them just a bit more, even if he wanted to slap himself silly for liking them so much. Sofia dressed with lightning speed and met up with everyone to eat her breakfast. After breakfast, her carriage came to take her back to school and after a long goodbye with everyone she was on her way. She had so much to tell all her friends. When they heard they couldn't believe it. All of their spring breaks paled in comparison to the drama and action of hers. Still she liked to hear about it.

With her classes in full swing she had a lot to occupy her mind with though when night came, she had to study long until she was too tired to think. Then she could go to sleep without too many nightmares. She'd wake up sometimes but often would shake her snow globe or re-read a letter or look at a gift sent to her and she'd feel better again. Sofia became a friend and helper to all, assisting wherever she could. It didn't matter if they were dark or light she would always be there for a person in need. In time her request to have the tables not be separated was put in action and soon all the mages were together, finding new friends and people they never thought they would connect with. April made sure no one bullied her sister, who was soon dating the girl she had a crush on, Vellore. Sofia helped with that too.

Jun was not yet with the boy she liked but they were hanging out a lot more, Sofia welcomed him into the group. The more the merrier she would say. The big news that Sofia had come across someone so powerful and survived had spread but she made sure they knew who it was who did all the work, the one who saved her. Cedric's name was now spoken all about the crowds, most of them claiming this or the other even if it wasn't true at least it was positive. She preferred that he be a legend than be someone no one knew about. It almost seemed like yesterday she was fourteen, her fifteenth year was in a month, she'd be there just exactly on the very day but at least she'd get to enjoy the whole day and then no more school. She shared the excitement with anyone she wrote to. Everyone was so proud of her, so happy for her. It made her work even harder. It appeared that Amber had introduced Axel to her parents and they were formally dating now, she was already planning their future wedding. She said it would be somewhere between the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

Sofia couldn't be any happier for her, she had someone who truly was her equal. Axel would treat her like the queen she was born to be. James on the other hand was taking things nice and slow, which suited Princess Zooey who, like Sofia, was always on the move. Sofia wasn't sure Zooey would be the type to settle down, she was constantly going going going. Either way, she thought they made a cute pair. Sofia had amassed a small collection of bird feathers from her father and at this point could recognize them whenever she found them on the ground. She wanted to use the feathers for something so she put them in a vase as unique decoration. Rain painted Sofia a picture of their group as an early birthday gift and she hung it in the dorm. Jun liked that she included Fenpu in the picture and Fenpu liked that too.

Cedric and Minerva had become the best of friends over the almost two years they had together, and of course it did help that she was sent from his mother. His mother was always taking care of and feeding owls of all sorts, even when she was a little girl. They were her favored animal so it made sense that one would take a liking to her son. He could always tell when mail was coming because he could hear her and he knew there would always be something for him. Sofia had not stopped scenting her mail with the perfume he had made for her. It made him feel special since she did it for no one else. It also made him want to never get rid of any piece of it, not even the envelope. He had a good sized stack of her cards but the scent had not stayed strongly on them so over time it would fade. He always liked receiving a new one and would briefly smell it before opening it.

She had taken to calling him her dearest Mr. Cedric and signing off with something like, "with love" or "yours truly" or "with deepest affections" or something like that. So he decided to respond back the same way, calling her his dearest Sofia, and signing off with more or less the same sentiments. In one of her longer letters she was talking about how soon she would be coming home but until then she was sending him hugs and kisses. As if the word kisses wasn't enough to turn him into an overheated thermometer, she had pressed her painted lips to the paper and signed off with, _can't wait to be with you soon, with love from your princess._ He could not help the red that covered his face and he buried it in his hands to try and hide it somehow from Minerva. Why did she have to say all that? He resigned himself from even asking, he knew why. She still was twitterpated and his act of heroism and allowing her to sleep in his tower didn't help. He didn't know what to do about it anymore. She was kissing his cheeks now and was sending him kisses as well. She was her usual overly affectionate self but now she was exploring new venues of love towards him and it startled him.

What was worse was...he wanted it. He re-read her letter again, absorbing the words. There seemed to be nothing he could do about it anymore besides tell her to stop but as many times as he said that to himself, he could not write it on paper. He had a thousand and one crumpled pieces of paper that littered the floor all starting with "I'm sorry" but somehow ended up with him sputtering out about how she was lovely, his little violet rose, how her beauty was not why this wouldn't work but simply that she was not in his reach. She was not meant to flower in his garden. He would go on about her looks, her charm, her grace, her childish innocence, her sometimes too mature sauciness that she might have gotten from being around him, the way she looked at him and then he realized he had filled up the paper with nothing but romantic proses about her all ending in the same three words. After reading that he would throw them away. He tried again.

_My dearest Sofia,_

_I am glad to hear of your return and cannot wait to have you here with me in my arms._

He stopped and crossed it out, crumbling the paper again. Each time he scrawled out more or less the same thing and he had to force himself to sound professional, firm.

_Sofia,_

_Though it pleases me to hear you are coming back I fear you are going too far with the way you act around me. I do not mind your hugs, your touches, your words of kindness but I know why you do it more often now. I do not want you to think I am being hard hearted, trust me it hurts to even write this. I wish things were different. I wish I was someone of higher standing, someone worthy of you then there would be no problem. Even my age would not matter. It flatters me you find me to be substantial, even attractive, but don't you see it cannot happen? You are a princess and I am only a few steps above a pauper. Do not take it to heart my sweet princess, do not think I hate you. I don't, in fact I love you._

He stopped once more. Those words popped yet again, just as they always did in his papers. No matter what he did or how he tried they kept coming up and somehow other things would sneak into there. Why did he write that he wished he was worthy of her? He didn't wish such things...did he? He didn't want to be with her, no not like that. He was fine with just being as they were, close but not too close, and then some actually good and real prince could steal her. Marry her. Have children with her. Kiss her. Touch her. Have her look at him like he was the most darling star in her sky. He groaned and crumpled up this paper too. He slammed his head on his desk hard trying to find the words to say and the reason for them. He looked over to the side seeing that lip mark staining the parchment and brought the letter close to him. She wanted to kiss him, only him, she wanted to be with him. His heart ached.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Why did she have to be the way she was? Why was she so perfect? She was going to destroy him heart, body, and soul. She was too beautiful, too charming, too kind, too much for him. She wanted him, all of him, just the way he was. This mess of a person, this aging, dithering, wise-cracking fool who only because of her became worth his salt. He was a tall, rail thin man with nothing to offer her, not a coin to his name, not a fancy title, not gowns or other fine things. All he had was his magic and for her that was enough. She liked his voice, he knew that she had told him many times. She loved his accent, she liked when he touched her, when he looked at her, when he smiled. He had thought himself of no high beauty for a man but in her eyes, he was the most dapper, distinguished, attractive gentleman around. She didn't care about his age or what he was. She wanted him all the same.

It was killing him. She was killing him. Her scent, her eyes, her laugh, her voice, her face, her lips on him, smiling at him. He was slowly dying second by second. He couldn't stand it! She was driving him to madness! Couldn't she see what she was doing? Did she know how she bewitched him so? Did she not know how much he...how much he wanted her back? He whimpered at the thought. Why couldn't she have looked plain, been plain, been boring, had no interest in him, be vain, maltempered, spiteful, and everything wrong? She had to be Sofia, she had to be in this castle, and she had to pick him of all others to like so much. He didn't think he could go to her birthday party at all, he'd not be able to stand looking at her. If one year had done that who knew what another would do to her?

She'd be absolutely irresistible and he'd hate it. He'd hate watching her with any other man. His jealousy would get the better of him and he would leave. Didn't she see how awful he was? How he'd steal her away from everyone, keep her locked up and never let her go? Didn't she know what kind of man he was? Selfish, childish, greedy, easily riled, and had a bad streak of envy when it came to men around her. But she'd love him anyways. She would set him straight, make him a better person, help him with his jealousy, soothe him as she always did. He imagined her as she was that day when she had her nightmare and awoke in his tower. A day like that every day- her in her night gown, making merry with him, sharing puns and witty humor, teasing here and there, eating and drinking together, her holding tight to him, and oh to have her sleep there but next to him. Waking up with Sofia next to him, her radiant smile, her gazing into his eyes, softly, sweetly, whispering good morning. He trembled with unbridled joy. He was done with it all. He no longer gave a damn about it. He got a piece of paper and started writing.

_My beloved Sofia,_

_I eagerly await your return with gusto. I shall count the days until you are back, my pretty poppet, and I shall make sure your birthday is the best ever. I cannot wait to see you and that wonderful, cheerful smile you have. It always makes this dark tower one hundred times brighter. Come home soon, I miss you terribly. _

_Your ever expectant sorcerer, Cedric. _

_P.S I am also sending you hugs and kisses right back. Lots of them._

When Sofia got that letter, she let out a high pitched squeal that sounded much like Amber's when she got a gift. It was like a gift to her. Her heart pounded so fast reading that. It was so short in comparison to her lengthy letter and she had thought he might not even respond. April and Aunt Tilly had told her to be bold, to try harder, to fan the flames. Well she was fanning and it worked perfectly! If he responded like that it must mean he returned some sort of affection, or at least was open to it. No man says such flirty things unless he is interested. She read it a hundred times, also eager and expectant of the hugs and kisses he had promised. The days passed too slowly for her but she was occupied throughout it all. Sports, tests, challenges, homework, practice, and studying took up all her time. Relaxation was reserved for the lateness of night when Minerva was out hunting or stretching her wings. Sofia liked that she respected her enough to not eat animals in her presence. She knew it was the way of nature but she couldn't stomach it.

One day Sofia got a strange scroll with an arrow pierced through it. She read it curiously. It was from Carol of the Arrow and her helping hands. It turned out she was in the area. She apologized for not keeping up with Sofia through the years but duty called. Sofia understood that greatly. She wrote her back and fired the arrow with it, knowing somehow it would make its way back to her. It was nice to hear from people she hadn't heard from in a long time, knowing she was still on their minds even if they hadn't talked in years. She got letters from all kinds of people, from her protectors, from Baileywick's brother Nigel, from Lani, From Tizzy, from just about everyone. The way they did graduations at the academy was different than what she was used to. There was fanfare and confetti, a diploma of course, and getting to meet Merlin but there was no crowd for it. Everyone graduated at different times so there was no sense to them to make a ceremony. She supposed she understood, it would be taxing to send out invites almost daily or weekly to random kingdoms and towns.

To have a celebration each day would also be tiring and Merlin was sometimes busy, they had to also work around his schedule. Just because he was retired did not mean he was not a busy man. He was Merlin the Magnanimous after all, and a true wizard never sleeps. So when Sofia was going to graduate, she was dressed in a white robe that went to her ankles and this golden sash went across her shoulders. She wore a white wizard hat with a small enclosed blossom on it, opened only by the professor of the white mages to signify she had bloomed into a true white mage. Sofia had heard if it didn't open that meant you weren't truly a white mage at all but she had faith hers would. For the dark mages it was different, they had black robes and purple sashes and instead of a hat they had a hood. They carried torches and it would only be lit by the dark mage professor, the same thing was told if it was not lit. It was rare that this happened but in case it did the student had to re-enroll and take classes yet again. It was extremely uncommon but it had happened once, with Professor Marmicus himself. It just turned out he was both a dark and white mage.

When she went up to Professor Sylvian her flower bloomed accordingly and she was given her diploma. She beamed as she shook Merlin's hand but surprised him with an embrace. That was also unheard of but most didn't know him personally. She and Jun graduated at the same time as well as April and Rain. Lakshmi and some of the others would be graduating soon but they would try to make it to her birthday if they could. Sofia didn't hold them to it and was just glad they thought of her at all. At last it was time, time to go home. She couldn't wait at all but she made sure to thank everyone and say her goodbyes. Her professors all were sad to see her go, calling her one of the best mannered and smartest students they had. Sofia would miss them all too but she could always come for a visit. Her things were packed and placed in her carriage. After two long years, she would finally be coming home.

Everyone in the palace was trying to get everything ready for Sofia's birthday. Banners and bows and ribbons and decorations were everywhere, the staff was running around like headless chickens, but Baileywick kept cool under pressure as always. Amber was going through dress after dress trying to find one stylish but humbling, she didn't want to upstage her sister. James was wrapping up his gift with the help of his father and Miranda was helping where ever she could. Cedric was around, also aiding with his magic, making things as grand as he could manage but not too grand, his Sofia was not one for extravagance. He was folding paper into shapes, a trick he had learned from the wizard of Wei Ling, when he smelled something from the kitchen. It smelled like chocolate. He peered into the kitchen. There was a new chef in the kitchen, just as good as Chef Andre. He was here because Chef Andre was on family leave right now, his wife needed him and the king understood that. However this one did not know what some of the royals liked and disliked.

"Pardon me, Chef Geno, is it? Right. Is that chocolate cake you are making?"

"Yes sir. Chocolate iced too."

"Not to impose on you or anything but princess Sofia's favorite is vanilla cake. It's James that loves chocolate."

"Oh no! What a fool I am! I should have remembered! I'll make another right away."

"Don't beat yourself up about it now. You're new, these things happen. Um...and might I suggest adding little lavender rosettes? She loves those."

"Of course! Whatever the princess likes, I will make."

Cedric felt satisfied with that and walked out, almost bumping into Baileywick who was smiling a small secret smile.

"...Did I do something wrong...?"

"No, silly. You did something right. You're a top notch servant. Actually I was going there myself but you beat me to it."

"Well I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

"The same goes for me. This is a big day after all. In some places she'd be considered a woman already."

"She is a woman, Baileywick."

"You know...you're right. She is. My how time flies. Ooh speaking of time it's time for the band to arrive. I've got to let them in."

Cedric was glad that he and Baileywick no longer bickered or squabbled anymore. He was a good person and always punctual. Sofia arrived an hour later but as she hopped out someone covered her eyes quickly.

"Huh what?"

"You can't see anything yet! It's all a big surprise!" James's voice exclaimed next to her ear. "I'm going to walk you to your room, okay?"

"With my eyes closed? I could just get Minimus to fly me up to my room."

"You have a point but I have to lead you there too. You can't peak."

"Fine, alright. Let's go."

Sofia was giddy. She loved surprises and the excitement had her all jittery. She close eyed mounted Minimus, so used to riding him that she could do it without seeing. It was something she had done once when in a very dark area so at least it was nothing too new for her. He told her when they were at her window and she opened one eye slowly. Just her room, nothing more. She hopped in, feeling like a stealthy ninja. She thanked Minimus and he was off, telling her happy birthday. Clover hopped out from under the bed, like a dust bunny, and towards her.

"Happy birthday Sofia! Another year of you and me!"

She hugged him. "Why were you under my bed?"

"Well I was hiding your gift but since you're here I'll give it to you."

He hopped back under the bed and pulled out a piece of paper. She looked at it, it had all the animal prints of her friends on it. She could see Robin's feet and Mia's smaller ones, Crackles big paws, Clover's little paws, Minimus and Skye's hooves, Whatnaughts small paw prints, and others. She smiled at it and decided it needed to be hung up so that's what she did.

"Perfect! It's one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen."

"Yeah and what's great is you're the only one who has it."

"Mhm! So... I guess since I'm confined to my room for who knows how long it's just you and me until the maids come in and help me dress."

"Sounds like a good start to your big birthday bash!"

Sofia and Clover played games mostly, hide and seek, tag, cards, I spy, whatever she could think of and then they took a short nap. She was getting hungry and she hoped they would come for her soon, at least to bring her food. She heard a light knock on the door, it was Violet she always did the most timid little knocks. Sofia let her in. She wished her the happiest of birthdays then told her the guests had started arriving so she best get her dressed. Sofia pulled out the dress she wanted to wear, the one given to her by Winifred and she even found some matching shoes. They were higher than normal but not like the ones she wore for her thirteenth. Violet approved of the choice. She aided her getting ready, even putting on her makeup. She was glad it was her because Violet often listened to suggestions. As she was doing her hair Violet started sniffling.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Oh it's nothing miss. It's just I've taken care of you since you were a child and to see you now, you're just beautiful, miss. It makes me happy it does."

"Aww Violet, thank you. You've always been family to me and no matter how old I get you'll always be the maid I come to if I need anything."

"Bless you miss, you have a heart of gold."

Everyone had shown up thus far, the ballroom was packed with people come far and wide, even more than the last time. All manner of halflings, human, fairy, wood elves, dryads, they were all there to see her and congratulate her on getting her diploma. They all waited at the foot of the stairs for her, anxiously, all dressed in their finest, even Cedric. He had forgone his usual robes and was wearing his most formal clothing, sans gloves even. She had requested it in the very last letter she sent and he would not deny her that. He felt under dressed, despite having the one bandaged hand, after spending so many years in that robe but at the same time, liberated. They chatted idly amongst themselves until the trumpets blew and then they all went quiet, turning towards the stairs

On the top of the stairs was what looked like, at least in Cedric's eyes, an angel. She was clothed in ivory lace and a loose fitting corset that she did not mind because it did not restrict her and it was part of the dress. Her sleeves went off her shoulders exposing them and since the dress was short her legs were revealed too. Down the steps she came in her little lilac high heels, the very picture of elegance. Her copper hair was coiled thickly and pinned partway up, spilling in little curls onto that bare shoulder. She accompanied it with just the most basic of purple jewels and that ever present ruby tiara he had made for her. With simple but stunning eye makeup in soft purple pastels, she looked a vision.

"Ooh Sofia looks so pretty," Callista remarked in her little red dress next to him.

She was more than that to him. She had indeed matured even more over the next year, taking on the form of a full woman, blessed with a svelte form and small supple curves. Her glossy pink lips smiled his way, full of fondness for him, and he felt like his legs would give out at any second. Winifred looked a bit smugly at her son, knowing exactly what he was feeling. She had seen the same lovelorn look on her own husband when she wore that dress. It was a lucky dress and it worked wonders no magic could contend with. Sofia greeted all her guests, curtsying to all of them and talking, asking how they've been, what they've done, and accepting congratulations. His eyes were stuck on her flittering about through the crowd even as she ate her snacks, she looked beautiful. She had gone around and spoken to the vast majority of people, her time being consumed by that until it was that dinner was served.

All of it was cooked to perfection and there was a variety of things, since Sofia loved to experiment with new foods. She dabbed the napkin on her lips, laughing lightly at a joke told to her by one of her friends. He knew it was impolite to stare but he could not help it. She was unreasonably gorgeous, so much so that it made it hard to even eat. All his focus was on her. He only stopped when he felt his sister lightly tap his shoulder and ask for him to pass the salt. After everyone ate it was soon time for dancing. Given that Sofia was the lady of the hour everyone wanted to dance with her. She danced with Ruby and Jade, she danced with James, she danced with Clio and Hildegard, Amber, and her parents. She danced with her class mates, her foreign friends, and some of the princes too. Cedric was surprised he was not feeling any hostility towards them but as far as he knew most of them were taken. She had just finished dancing with Callista, having to bend down a little to be at her height, when the girl was, with Sofia in her hand, racing back toward him.

"Uncle Ceddy! Did you see me?"

"Yes I saw you. Very good."

"I've been practicing with mummy how to dance. It's so much fun!"

"She has a lot of energy," Sofia remarked, moving one of her curls out of the way with a little blow.

"So I see."

"Uncle Ceddy now it's your turn! You dance too!"

"Oh um Callista I..."

"Oh yes please, Mr. Cedric! I might not have another moment. It seems everyone wants to spin me around on the ballroom floor tonight."

It was not possible to say no to her, not in that dress, not with that face, not with those big pleading eyes. He steadied himself since he was shaking with nervousness and took her hand in his, leading her to the ball room floor. Sofia was in heaven just holding his hand. She really couldn't believe this was happening, she would be dancing with him and nobody would care because it was a dance, that's what you did. She flushed brightly when his hand touched her hip and he pressed her a little closely. She almost couldn't meet his gaze but as they spun around, she had to or else she might get dizzy looking at her feet. She moved with him in time with the music, getting lost in the sound and sensation of this beautiful, perfect moment. This must be paradise, being here in his arms, swaying to a soft rhythm, feeling like it was just the two of them. She felt she like she was dancing atop the clouds.

"You dance well," She complimented. She had scarcely ever seen him dance before but she knew he could, she had danced with him when she was very little. That was when she was ten, five years later and it felt entirely different.

"Thank you, princess. You also dance well...but that's to be expected."

"Well at first I didn't even know how to dance, remember?"

"Oh yes you came to me for a dancing spell. That was one of your first days here."

"You were like some dream of mine come true. I had never met someone so magical in my life and every day that I was there I tried to make an excuse just to see you," She explained in a soft breath.

"I could tell," He remarked, shifting just a bit closer. "And I'm glad you did. I don't like to think of the person I was and could have been without you there to guide me."

"Mr. Cedric...you know you...um...you look really good tonight. Thank you for listening to me."

He blushed lightly. "Well you are the Lady Sofia, to not listen to you is treason to the crown." She laughed at his joke. "And besides you look even better."

"I...I do...?"

"Oh yes. You're ravishing, my dear."

"Oh!" She looked everywhere but him, her face so hot it might burn to the touch. He snickered at her.

"Something the matter? I thought everyone called you beautiful."

"It's...different when it's you."

Their eyes met and locked together. He was about to say something when she received a tap on the shoulder. It was Vivian. Sofia looked at him then at her then back. He let go of her and allowed her to leave but not before kissing her hand. She gushed softly, a noise he would never forget nor wanted to. Not anymore. He was done with that. It didn't matter to him any longer, wrong or right. It was wrong and right all at the same time. Sofia joined with Vivian who wanted to just chat with her, she wasn't much for dancing but she liked to play instruments so they talked about the band. Sofia didn't think she'd ever forget what just transpired, she had danced with him, he had called her beautiful, and when she looked into his eyes, she swore he...well... the way he looked at her set her ablaze. It was hard to keep her mind straight the rest of the night.

She cleared it up as best as she could when it was time for cake. It was her favorite flavor and it had cute little roses in her favorite color. She plucked one off her fork and ate it, humming happily at the taste. Then it was onto presents, of which she had too many to count. She was swamped with them. It took more than one servant to get them all to her room. Soon everyone left to go home and Sofia was left with her memories fluttering in her head. She wished her family a very good night, so very happy that Amber did not mention or say anything about her dancing with Cedric. At this point Amber was done with her interfering, if anything Cedric had proved worthy of her, despite his rank and age. Any man that would almost die for a person on multiple occasions was a fine enough choice in her book. She valued him for that and wished she could properly thank him for all he did.

Her only thank you now was to let them be, let whatever was between them happen. If her sister was happy, she was happy and besides Sofia was an unusual princess, of course she would want an unusual lover. It made sense now that she thought about it and also, seeing Cedric in some other clothes, he wasn't too bad. Not her cup of tea at all, but he was decent looking. She smiled when she saw him and said a kind goodnight to him, even giving him a curtsy. The action confused him but he accepted it none the less. Like Sofia, Amber was maturing more and more only her maturity was mental. Sofia was dancing on tip toe through the hallways, humming as gaily as could be but not too loudly. So enraptured was she that she did not see who she bumped into.

"You should really watch where you're doddling, Milady."

She looked up at him and bit her lip. It had used to be cute to him but as she grew it became something else. It stirred something within him he had not felt in a decade. She placed her hands on her cheeks and took a deep breath in, as if in mock awe.

"Mr. Ceeedrick!"

He chuckled at their little remake of their very first meeting. He always felt in a frolicsome mood with her, she gave him his boyhood back and at the same time reminded him, at least in her later years, that he was a man and she was a very pretty woman. More than pretty to him.

"You didn't ask where my gift was."

"Oh I assumed you'd give it to me later, as always."

"You assumed right. Follow me...oh and it's Ced-rick."

She laughed under her breath. She followed him up to his tower, excited about whatever he might give to her. He opened the door and went inside and she saw it lying on the table. A book with a ribbon around it. She went over to it and untied the ribbon, reading the front cover. It read: The Many Journeys of Sofia and Cedric. She beamed brightly and opened the first page seeing that it was dedicated to her. It was a rather long dedication and she teared up at the words he used. He called her his life, his purpose, his reason for being. It was all so sweet. She flipped through the book, wiping off her eyes. She knew what it was, it was a chronicle of their time together and there were empty pages at the back with a little scrawl from him on the side reading: _for future adventures, may there be many of them._ She closed the book and turned to him. With no words to say she leapt into his arms, overwhelmed by this. He always gave her such meaningful gifts but this one was full of their memories together, this one was just about the two of them. She couldn't wait to read it all, every bit of it, and hear his wording with it. She would treasure it always and hope to add onto it.

"Well?"

"I'm speechless... it's...more than I could ever want. It means so much to me, that you cataloged our journey together."

"You are the most important thing in my life Sofia, I knew that would be so from the moment you put on your adorable purple hat. I knew from the second you called me friend, that I was your friend too, your sorcerer, your Mr. Cedric and you became my princess, my Sofia. You breathed your life into me so you are the reason I breathe."

"Mr. Cedric..."

She got lost in his eyes bearing down into hers. Her heart thumped, calling out for him. She leaned closer, moved by his words, moved by his gift, moved by all that he had done for her. She got even closer to him, eyelids lowering. His breathing quickened as she got so very close to his face and he had not time to prepare himself or say anything. The world seemed to stop when her lips touched his and he melted entirely, now truly not caring about anything else. Nothing else mattered in the whole world but those lips and how wonderfully, heavenly, blissfully right they felt. As of right now and forever more, he was hers.


	15. Chapter 15

[AN: Not lemons, not limes but certainly some citrus below. Nothing too sour.]

Cedric was just about to touch her face, bring her closer to him, kiss her back and deeply but just when he let out the tiniest moan of pleasure she let go quickly. She looked horrified, touching her mouth, then both her cheeks.

"Oh god why did I do that?! I'm sorry...Ugh I'm so stupid!"

She turned away from him and tried to escape the area, what she had done, and him. She didn't even realize she had kissed him at all until it was done and now, she was embarrassed by her hasty actions brought on by a plethora of emotions. She knew she had ruined everything and running away would not fix anything, it never did, but that's all she could think of doing at the moment. It would make things awkward between them forever and she wished she had not done it but it was done and now she thought things would be worse off than she could have imagined. She barely got one foot step away when she felt him grasp her wrist, tightly but as gentle as could be. She dare not turn to him, to ask why he was forcing her there, to ask why he grabbed her so. She could not face him.

"Sofia look at me."

"No I can't. I feel like a total fool. I shouldn't have done that! I've messed up everything."

"The last thing you are is a fool. You are one of the brightest people I have ever known. Now come back here, please."

She shook her head no and he sighed deeply. "I've destroyed our friendship."

"My dear you couldn't destroy it with the world's most powerful weapon. Now please look at me."

Begrudgingly she turned towards him and stepped back to where she was. Her head was down but she was looking his way, just at his chest not at his face. He noticed the tiny tears touching her cheeks and wiped them off with his thumbs then lifted her face up. "No don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry especially because of me. You've done nothing wrong, I swear."

"Yes I have. You'll never look at me the same way and things will be strange between us all the time. I'm stupid for doing that. I can't believe I did that!"

"Sofia...why did you do it?"

"I..." She pressed her lips thinly together and looked to the side. "Because I...because you are who you are and I love all that you are. I love you... I have been wanting to confess my deepest secret for so long and now I have to just spill it out like this with no decorum what so ever. I love you so much it hurts and I've had to suffer with it, knowing a lot of people might not approve, hearing people tell me it's wrong, and now instead of just telling you the way I want I've done...this. What's wrong with me, acting like that? I must be crazy...please...don't think anything of it anymore. I want you to forget what I've done and what I said."

"Why would I want to forget the most beautiful words that I've ever heard in my entire life?"

Sofia looked directly at him this time, surprised by what he had said. He smiled warmly at her and his eyes were soft, full of love and admiration for her. His hands stroked over her cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ear. His thumb stroked over her lips, first top then bottom. He was gazing at them longingly, inching closer. She stepped back just a touch, breath hitching. "Wha...what are you d-d-doing?"

"I'm going to kiss you back, if you don't mind."

She turned scarlet and her eyes widened. Her heart felt like it might explode in her chest it was going so fast. "But w...why...?"

"Because, my little pet, I love you just the same way. Now if I may, I've been desiring this for far too long."

He leaned in, closing the space between them with their lips firmly pressed against each other. She let out a surprised, muffled moan but it turned into a delighted one fast. Her eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around him, linking them at the back of his neck. Cedric placed one hand at her hip and one on the back of her head, pulling her in for a deeper kiss than she had ever imagined. She had never kissed anyone before, she was an unpracticed woman in all fields of romance, but as usual of him he was teaching her, silently, as he kissed her in ways that made her soul quiver. He was feverish with his kisses, only separating briefly to take a little breath before going back to them. He wished he didn't need air, all he truly needed was her. All of her. His beautiful, wonderful Sofia who was his for real now.

What he had said was true, though it was the first time he had ever admitted it out loud. Since she became fourteen, he had secretly wanted her, loved her, desired her and at first it sickened him. He had been around her, helped raise her since she was a child, he knew her as that little girl who enchanted him with her smile but now, she had done so with much more and in a different way. No longer was he revolted by anything pertaining to his feelings, not with the way he felt right now in her arms. It felt like she belonged here with him. Sofia must have been attracted to magic so much for a reason and that brought her to him. He felt every step taken had gotten them here, it was meant to be this way, it had to be because it felt so right, he felt so at home with her. Always had, always will. He knew Sofia was young, she didn't know much, yet she was always adult even as a child, full of rhyme and reason, but now she knew more mature things.

Regardless it was hard to keep the facts in his head because of how much he craved her, a burning blaze that had been locked away for an exceedingly long time. He had denied it so much but now he would not deny himself anything anymore. Sofia gasped as she felt him lick her lip gingerly. She wasn't sure what to do about that, she had learned a lot of things from April but even she left out some things. She wanted Sofia to experience things on her own. Sofia just went with the flow of things and slowly she felt better about what she was doing. It was not the most graceful thing she could do and she thought she might be doing it wrong but if so, he didn't say anything. His lips pressed hard against her cheek then peppered her ear causing her to giggle. She felt him smile against it then nip at it, like a playful pup. When she heard his accented voice whisper in her ear, she felt this funny heated sensation she was slowly getting used to when around him.

"I love you Sofia. You're my precious princess and I'm never letting you go."

"That's good because I'm not letting you go either, my sensational sorcerer."

"You're so beautiful, it's really not fair you know. You could make any man fall to his knees," He admitted, caressing her neck then kissing it. She shivered with intense pleasure. "My lovely lavender lady."

"You're quite poetic, Mr. Cedric. I had no idea."

"My sweet you can call me Cedric from now on. I think we're intimate enough with each other to drop formalities."

She blushed and curled her finger in her hair. "Okay...Cedric." He sighed lovingly. "What's your last name?"

"All these years and you don't know? I know both of yours."

She shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's Wrenne."

"Oh like the bird!" She exclaimed happily, smiling in an adorable way. He stroked her cheek then rubbed his nose onto hers causing a little laugh.

"Yes, like the bird. In fact in the old language it means the king of birds, it's my mother's last name not my father's."

"You mean they have different last names even though they are married?"

"No she just wanted me to have her last name, thought it was more dignified than Sherrard, not that it means anything bad it just sounds feminine. Did you know they almost named me Cerdic? Thankfully they moved the r and the d."

Sofia tapped her chin in deep thought, wondering what it would be like if he was named that instead but decided it just didn't suit him. She liked his last name, it was simple but meaningful like him and his gifts. She wondered what her name meant, if it was something she would like. She was broken out of her deep thoughts by him kissing her again, but softer, sweeter, gentler than before. When he let go, she looked up at him through her eyelashes shyly.

"I guess...we are together then now...I ought to get used to thinking of your last name being mine one day."

"You love me so much you would marry me?"

She nodded firmly. "Without a single doubt. You are the one for me...if you would have me."

"If I would have you? Only an insane man would not want you. If you would have me, if you feel I'm right for you, then I'd be honored to call you my wife. I honestly never thought I'd have one, especially one who looks as gorgeous as you."

"You're a very handsome man, Cedric. That you are not wed already is confusing to me but I'm glad you aren't."

He held her tightly to him, pressing himself to her body. "Yes and I'm certainly glad you aren't either. Now I get to have you all to myself." She received more kisses from him, hearing him hum happily while he did so. "You have such addictive lips," He confessed.

"Oh my...thank you...um well...I would love to stay in your arms forever but it is getting late. We should probably go to bed."

"I agree," He complied, holding out his hand to her. She placed her hand in it thinking he was going to kiss it but he didn't. He started walking toward the stairs with his hand holding tight to hers. She didn't pull away, she only blushed brighter realizing he was taking her upstairs to his room. He wanted her to sleep next to him. It was one of her many dreams that would be realized, something she had fantasized even since girlhood. She went up the stairs with him, heart beating so rapidly it's all she heard. He opened the top door for her and gestured inside with a sweeping bow, gallant as always. Sofia went inside, unafraid but still shaking a little.

As soon as she got inside, she gasped softly viewing this place for the first time ever. It was a wonderful, charming, quaint little room, perfectly simplistic and humble. She loved it so much. She moved over to his bed and felt the quilt on top of it then sat down, feeling the downy softness of the type of bed she preferred. It was much better than her big overly plush bed in her room. She looked all around her seeing his many personal volumes on the bookshelf, his hooks where he hung his robe and overcoat, and on his wall the golden star scroll she gave him. There were many artifacts from the past lying on top of his dressers and she smiled at each one, pleased to see he had kept every little thing she ever gave him even back when he was so stubborn. He closed the door and locked it, out of habit and just in case.

"You look as if you've found something fantastical."

"Oh it is! Your room is like a hidden treasure to me, a secret haven I have long wished to visit and your bed it's so warm and wonderful. It's just the perfect size."

"Yes it's just the right size for two," He stated, coming closer to her face and pecking her on the lips. "I'm happy you find it comfortable. It would be terrible if it wasn't, since you're going to sleep here."

She felt the covers once more then stopped. "Wait I just...I don't have any sleep wear."

"Oh that is a problem, isn't it?" He claimed, his voice riddled with unmistakable sarcasm but also something else she wasn't sure of. He sounded smoother, almost cunning but not evil. Perhaps she could describe it as being sinisterly sweet, but not at all threatening. "I suppose I could magic you up something to wear."

Her eyes sparkled as they always did whenever magic was about to be performed. She shifted a little in the bed like she was getting ready for a grand performance then sat up expectantly. He beamed at her, in love with her enthusiastic attitude towards seeing him do anything related to spell work. He moved his wand and cast the spell, spewing out a fine little light lilac tinted dress, just a bit sheer with a ribbon around the midsection. She ran her hands over it, petting it almost like it was a furry friend of hers, entranced by the fabric and how it felt. It was almost silver and silky to the touch. She held it up before her eyes and noted the thinness, it was vaguely translucent. Sofia wasn't offended by his choice for her in fact she liked to try to wear different things and this was far more adult than her pajamas with the long sleeves she had to roll up. It made her feel like a true woman somehow.

"I love it but um...where am I going to change?"

He raised an eyebrow and scanned her over. "You can do it right here if you want."

She never blushed so hard in her life, she even squeaked at his suggestion, grasping tightly to her new clothing. Sofia took the deepest breath in and though she was shaking she told herself she could do this. She felt comfortable around him and he was her future husband after all. Her Cedric, her truest love. She rose from the bed, placing her night dress down carefully like it was made of glass, and started to reach behind herself to unbutton the dress. Cedric's eyes widened and he immediately put his hands on hers, grabbing them away quickly.

"Dear I was only teasing!"

"Oh...but I don't mind. Really."

Now it was his turn to blush at her boldness especially after she turned around and moved her hair out of the way. "Only it would be much easier if you helped me with the corset. I still can't figure them out."

He gulped at her suggestion, fingers shaking and twitching just a bit. "A...are you sure about this...? I mean we aren't even married..."

"Why does that matter?"

"Sofia I'm surprised at you! You mean to tell me you don't know a woman is supposed to...you know save that kind of thing for her husband?"

"You are going to be that one day. I have always wanted to be with you and now I am. I am yours, that includes my body. Are you afraid, Cedric?"

"...Afraid...?...No...well...yes. Very much yes. I fear a lot of things Sofia. I don't want to hurt you or come off like you have to do this. I can wait, I've waited this long. Don't mistake me...I am very tempted by you...but, my love...it's just...I'm so...different than your fairy tale men in...many ways."

She turned back to him and placed her hands on his cheeks, looking at him seriously. "If I wanted that kind of man, I could have picked any of the hundreds in any castle but I didn't want them. I wanted you who is more noble than any royal and has more valor than any knight, even Sir Arthur. Please, Cedric, don't be afraid to love me... in all ways."

"Sofia...you don't know what you ask of me... I seem to be an insatiable person when it comes to you. Not to mention-"

She put her finger on his lips, silencing him. Sofia reached back behind herself and began to unbutton her buttons, looking at him in the eyes then turned around to him with her corset sitting there awaiting him. "You...won't take no for an answer...will you?"

She ignored him, standing there silently, humming to herself. He sighed and placed his fingers on the laces and his forehead on her back. "You don't understand what you're getting yourself into...sometimes I can still be a dark sorcerer."

"I'm good at handling dark forces. Now please, your princess bides you untie her...my Lord Cedric."

He yanked her laces free fast, impulsed by the name she had used, the name he had so longed to hear since he was in his youth and to hear it from her, the woman he loved more than anything, it did something to him. She felt his kisses sear her skin, his touches made her shiver, and the look in his eyes went to her core. If he was darkness then he was like the night time, beautiful and haunting yet captivating and she was his morning, fresh and sweet, warm and bright. The moon and the sun, wrapped around each other in a sea of clouds and stars, swirling blissfully in their heaven where time didn't exist. Only love. Only the two of them.

When Cedric awoke the next day, he was greeted by the dawns light bleeding in through his curtains, shining on every surface. He was a little groggy but overall felt this overwhelming sense of peace. He knew the reason why, he was now looking at the reason why. Wrapped around his midsection with her arm on his chest was the sleeping form of Sofia, body draped in silvers and pastel purples. She slumbered with rosy cheeks, a content, pleased smile on her resting face. Every breath out of her tickled him a little but he didn't care. He ran his fingers tentatively through her copper locks continuously, admiring her as she snuggled closer to him. He couldn't believe what he did, what they did the night prior.

It broke all conventions, it was extremely taboo, unheard of, even illegal sometimes, but right now he could care less. All that mattered was this feeling he had right now with her in his arms. It was pure bliss. He kissed her forehead and nuzzled into her, holding her there. Sofia started rousing awake, wiggling around some. Then her eyelids slowly opened, two blue spheres looking right into his own brown ones. She smiled at him lazily then reached his lips, sealing them with a kiss. He pressed firmly against them, his hand around her hips while the other dove into her hair. "Good morning to you too," He whispered to her playfully. She cuddled him more, wrapping her legs around him tightly, giggling all the way.

"Oh I love you sooooooo much!"

"I guess I must have don't something good for that reaction."

"You could say that..." She blushingly affirmed, flicking invisible dust off of his night shirt.

"Is that so? And what is it exactly that I did?" He leaned in close to her face with a devious smirk. She turned away from him, sucking in her lower lip. He nosed her cheek and neck, chuckling at her. "So shy, aren't you, my nymphet? Even after last night?"

She mumbled nonsense under her breath until he pulled her to him to lock lips with her. After this she just laid there with him, sighing and enjoying each other's company. It was tranquil as could be, passing the time simply sitting there or talking away about anything that came to mind. Their hands intertwined as well as their souls. She too could not believe what they had done. Just like everything about him it was magical, more than she could have even fathomed. She had been told as much as possible but nothing could prepare her for it and though there were tiny pricks of pain it was mostly phenomenal, breath taking, and made her feel as if she was lit on fire yet when it was done, she felt this cooling calming feeling. Truly, he was sensational.

"As much as I love this I should get back to my own room."

"Must you? Can't you just stay here all day?"

"I wish I could but I almost never miss breakfast with my family and Violet or Suzette will be by to wake me up...or Baileywick. Either way they'd be alarmed not to see me unless I left a note otherwise."

"Then go leave a note and come back here."

"Cedric... come on now."

"Hmph." He grabbed her and clung tightly to her, pouting. "I'm not letting you go just yet. You're my captive now."

She laughed at him. "Oh no what ever will I do? Now my family will not see me ever again but you know where the first place they'd start looking for me is?"

"Why do you have to be so damned smart? Alright fine...go on leave me...all alone."

She got up from the bed slowly, sore but no worse for wear. Sofia kissed him then got dressed. "I'll come back to you as soon as I can, I promise." She was finally all dressed then headed towards his bedroom door, looking over at him. He was on her side of the bed, burying his face in a pillow looking miserable. She really wished she could stay longer but there were things she just had to do. She explained that to him and he understood well enough, he would just miss her so very much, to a high degree.

"I'll be here when you return, darling."

"And I can't wait to come back to you."

He watched her trailing figure and when he heard his front door close, he let out a loud long sigh. He already wanted her back. Sofia snuck into her room before anyone else got there and changed into a proper dress as she could not go down to eat in the same clothes from last night. As soon as the dress was on her body and the shoes slipped onto her feet, she heard a knocking. It was exactly as she said, one of the staff had come to get her and within no time she was at breakfast with her family. She sat in her chair, unable to stop smiling at nothing and now and then she would look deep in thought then her cheeks would light up. She was humming with delight as she ate and the first to notice all this was her mother who missed nothing.

"In a cheerful mood today?"

"Yes! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the sky is so blue and the air smells so fragrant. Ahh, isn't it all so beautiful?"

"It is a wonderful day, isn't it?" Her father agreed, barely paying attention as he was going over some scrolls while he ate. He did not notice how Sofia was acting for though she was always chipper something was different. Amber noticed it though.

"Sofia you seem so...I don't know. You're just glowing today. You must have had a wonderful birthday then."

"I certainly did and I want to thank you all for making it possible. Wow this food is outstanding, isn't it? Everything tastes so much sweeter."

"I'll be sure to thank the chef for you," Roland replied, only just barely taking his eyes off the paper to look at his daughter. Amber was right, Sofia had this different appearance to her, something about her was radiant more so than usual, her cheeks looked like two red apples and her eyes shone with a newness to the world. She kept sighing and humming, seemingly tickled pink. He was not bothered by it, Sofia was always very cheerful and could become excited about the tiniest thing. To her, all the world was wondrous, a big playground, a massive adventure to be had and explorations abound. He loved that about her, her sense of wonder that never faded even as she was a full lady. She so reminded him of his sister, it was downright uncanny. The two were cut from the same cloth despite sharing no blood.

"Sofia's right this food is great!" James tried to say but it was muffled thanks to the usual stuffed mouth.

"Swallow before speaking, James," His mother told him with some authority but sincerely gentle.

"Sorry! It's just I'm so hungry!"

"When aren't you?" Amber remarked sassily, rolling her eyes but keeping a friendly albeit teasing smile.

"Hey!"

Sofia laughed, but her laughter was even a bit different, it sounded lighter and airier, louder and clearer. She seemed to be the happiest woman on the whole planet and no one was really certain why nor did they care to know. As long as she smiled everyone else smiled too. After breakfast she decided to clean up her room thoroughly, then from there she had some duties to perform as a protector. This time she had to stop some creatures called fieries from setting a forest ablaze. They belonged on a fire island where they could be on fire to their hearts content but not anywhere else. They were a rowdy bunch, lanky and bird-like, always wanting to play a game but as much as Sofia loved games, she did not want to see anything get burned in the process. She was able to wrangle them and get them back to the isle of fire where was given a performance, complete with music. She came back from that with a little soot on her face and some burn marks on her cape but nothing serious. It could have been a lot worse.

She washed off her face then started walking to her room to go find something to mend her cape. The whole while, the whole day actually, she was singing and whistling. It put the whole place in an upbeat sort of mood and soon Baileywick was whistling too and he found it made the work go quicker. She saw the maids whistling while dusting off the high lamps and polishing the mirrors. Everyone was jovial around here until something broke in the main hall. It made a loud crashing sound alerting Sofia to the noise. In fear of someone being hurt she ran to it quickly. Her cape could wait. She found what had made the noise, a mirror had broken and the person who was affixing it was sitting there on the ground, having fallen off his ladder. His knee looked cut and though blood did cause Sofia to have a traumatic flashback she would not let that stop her from helping. She went to his aid, procuring a bandage for him and placing it on the wound.

"Ah thank you princess! I don't know what happened. One second I was hanging up the mirror and the next second my ladder was all wobbly and boom- down we both crashed. The king's going to be cross with me for sure, that was a gift."

"Don't worry about that, right now we can be thankful that you aren't badly hurt."

Running down the hallway was the king himself causing the servant to bow before him, nervous and sweating. He assessed the damage and saw the bandage on his knee with Sofia there too. He helped the man up, dusting him off. "No need for all that now. It was an accident, these things happen."

"You are most merciful, your highness. Believe me I did not intend for this. It was like something knocked me over. Perhaps a gust of wind or something."

"Yes perhaps. As far as the mirror goes, it's not unfixable. I'll ask Cedric if he has some type of spell that can put this back together again. Until then you should go take a little rest. Maybe you're more tired than you think?"

"Yes that could be it. Worked so hard last night with the party, not that I didn't like it or nothin' but maybe I am a bit tired. Thank you, your highness, I'll go rest right away."

Jerrod went away, scratching the back of his head and mumbling sorrowfully about what he had done despite the fact that all was fine. It took very little time for King Roland to find Cedric and ask him to fix the mirror in the hallway then he retired to his study to continue his work. When Cedric got there Sofia was still standing amongst the broken glass, looking with concentration at the ladder. Something wasn't right here but she couldn't think of what. He said he didn't even know what happened and that it felt like he was pushed. What could it be? This was not as it appeared.

"You know a broken mirror is seven years bad luck, they say," Cedric commented from behind her ear causing her to stand upright. She felt a light kiss to the back of her neck causing her to look around and make sure no one saw.

She did not want to keep this relationship a secret or anything but she didn't want to get caught without telling everyone. She just had to find the right time and she wanted him to come with her. She knew that sometimes he still feared her father and might be daunted by the task but their love was worth fighting for and it was true. If for some reason he denied them then she would deny her right to her crown and become something a little less. She felt that would work but her father might be angry she disobeyed him. She wondered what would happen then...if they would truly even be free to love each other. She felt in her heart that they would be so she did not fear a thing. Sofia turned to Cedric with a little smile on her face.

"Is that true or just a myth?"

"It might hold a grain of truth. I do hope you weren't hurt when this dropped, my dearest."

"I wasn't around when it did and thankfully no one was hurt badly. Still...it doesn't seem right... it feels like something is off."

"What do you mean, love?"

"Jerrod is a very careful person, I know him well, and he has hung up many mirrors, bigger than this and on his own. He's very steady and never drops a thing, that's why we trust him with these tasks. He told me it felt like he was knocked over...What do you think?"

"Hmmm...seems like there might have been foul play. Well not to worry, as the royal sorcerer I shall do my part in finding out whatever this mystery is and taking care of it but first I'm going to fix this."

"Great! Thank you! I heard it was a gift so dad will be pleased to see it back to its normal state."

Cedric raised his wand and pointed at the shards, making them float, then they fused together, seamlessly without a crack, and joined back with the frame. The mirror was now hanging on the wall good as new as if nothing had happened. He looked it over to make sure all was alright, fixed his bow tie in the mirror and grinned at his work.

"Wonderful as always, Cedric. You impress me every time."

"Oh do I? And do you think that perhaps you could reward me for my efforts, pet?"

"Ummm...what would you like...?" Sofia asked, a little confused. Cedric never asked for payment at least not from her. He did get paid but from her father and even then, he never asked or asked for more. He always took whatever he was given so this was strange but she went with it. He bent before her, a wily smirk on his face.

"Well I'm not much for sweets but I could use some sugar."

"Hmm?" She blinked at him then opened her eyes a bit wider, realizing what he meant. Her cheeks went a little pink and she touched one. "Oh...!" She looked around herself again then raised her lips to his giving him a soft kiss, not too long though.

"Mmm very sweet. I think that should be sufficient payment for my wizardry."

"Am I to be expected to um...pay you every time you cast a spell?"

"Of course, a sorcerer of my caliber deserves to be rewarded for his work. Is this not so?"

"I think now I will find more reasons to enjoy your sorcery," Sofia replied with a flirty wink and a giggle.

"You mischievous sprite, you."

She swayed side to side timidly, hands behind her back and nibbling the corner of her lip. "You really ought not do that around me, sweetness. I'm liable to do something...untoward."

"Huh...what did I do?"

"You bit your lip...it...drives me crazy in the best way. It's like some sort of secret power of yours."

"Hmm...I see. Well I have a lot of powers, some given, some earned, but I make sure to use every single one."

"Why you saucy minx! I would have never taken you for the seductive type. You never fail to surprise me, you know. Really though, with that attitude you should leave my presence. I meant what I said before."

Sofia giggled again, still blushing at what he called her and what he thought of her. She was almost certain she understood him but she didn't think herself that type either, with him she just liked to mess around in a frisky sort of way. He was the same, it was how he naturally was anyways but it was hard to be like that with others. With her things were easy and always fun. Never a dull moment with Sofia. She kissed his mouth then quickly scampered away, skipping and whistling gleefully. His Sofia really was something special and he hoped to be surprised by her, loved by her, prized by her, amazed by her, and teased by her all his life.


	16. Chapter 16

[AN: Limes/Citrus and some naughty ghost happenings. Other than that, tame as usual. Trying to keep this PG-13 at best.]

The rest of the day things seemed to just keep going wrong for people from something small and minor to something semi major. It seemed everywhere there was an accident of some sort and everyone said they did not know how it happened. Sofia was already suspicious but now she was beyond that. She knew something was off but she still couldn't figure out what. She came up with an idea, since she assumed it must be some type of entity, she had to capture it or at least see what it was. For that she would have to set up a circumstance that would seem tempting to whatever it was. The person or thing seemed to love causing problems and breaking things so she decided to get something breakable but not valuable and pretend to be placing it somewhere.

Whatever was doing this would come for her and she would reveal what it was. She tried to appear as if she was not aware of anything, just going to place this tea set down. It was her own and though she'd be sad if it broke it was easily replaced. It didn't take long for her to feel a rush of air around her ankles causing her to wobble. She looked around her ankles but saw nothing but as she wobbled to the floor, breaking only one of the small plates, she swore she saw some type of orb flying fast away from herself. She had no clue what it was but she knew of the one person who was knowledgeable in all types of creatures. She made her way up the spiral stairs then knocked on the door. It swung open and she was greeted by Cedric leaning on the door frame looking at her up and down with a casual and appreciative eye.

"Well hello there. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's about all the strange things that have been happening around the castle," She explained, going past him to step inside. "Have you noticed?"

"It's been keeping me busy fixing all the broken things. So yes, I've noticed."

"You see I was trying to lure it out by carrying something that could break but all I felt was a strong gust of wind that knocked me down. Then when I looked to the distance, I saw a reddish orange orb flying away fast. I'm not certain what it is but I'm sure it's not a good thing."

"Hmm...orb you say? Yes...it could be," He mumbled to himself, taking a volume from the shelf and flipping to a page. His finger jabbed at the paper. "Ah here we go!"

Sofia stood close to him looking at the opened book too with curiosity. She read the words that were decoratively written on the top of the page. She didn't know how to pronounce it so she kept staring at it strangely. She knew he would explain it to her, he always did.

"A poltergeist is a trouble causing and often maliciously ill-behaved spirit that likes to make noise, break objects, throw things, and cause general mishap and mayhem."

"A spirit? You mean like the ghosts in our attic? But they are all friendly."

"We have ghosts in the castle?" Cedric inquired, looking at her with a bit of shock.

"Mhm. Every 100 years on Hallows Eve they throw a ghostly gala. They are really very nice and polite and prefer not to scare people. At first they did try to spook everyone but it was only because they wanted to have fun, so I let them join my party and everyone believed it was just a neat trick."

"You really do make friends with anyone, don't you?"

"Everyone should have friendship, Cedric, even those that aren't a part of this world anymore. No matter who we all need a friend."

He couldn't help it, he smiled and swooned. She was such a caring and compassionate person, it truly warmed his heart and made his spirit light. He absolutely loved her charitable, friendly, outgoing nature. It was not like his own but whenever she did something nice around him it made him want to do nice things too.

"My love...you really are perfect in every way I can fathom. With you everything is right in the world."

"Oh Cedric that's so sweet of you to say. Come here," She beckoned, curling her finger toward herself. He bent to her and received a peck on the cheek then the lips.

"Hmm...I should compliment you more if that's what I get."

"You don't need to do that, I'll kiss you no matter what you do because I love you so very much. Now then...about our little case. It certainly hasn't been a hundred years and Sir Dax, that's our resident ghost, is content with just sleeping and staying out of the way until then. So without a doubt I've never met a spirit who wished to cause harm to people. What do we do?"

"We capture the specter of course and luckily for you I have just the spell to do it. All we need is to catch him off guard...and we need to be able to see them, some of those types like to stay invisible. I could use flour or a fine powder to coat it with and then wham- we've got our rambunctious ghost!"

"That's a marvelous plan. You're a genius, Cedric!"

"Yes, that I am," He replied smugly, her confidence in him boosting his own. He twirled his wand then placed it up his sleeve in a small pocket. "Now then, you'd best stick close to me."

"Right."

Sofia did as he said and stayed close to his side, which was where he felt she belonged permanently. He was bolstered by her praises, which was the norm, feeling brave and protective of her though he knew her to be capable of defending herself. These kinds of spirits were not the good type at all and did not listen to reason, not even Sofia would be able to handle it on her own. He knew what those kinds were capable of, some even did more than pranks and childish things. Some tried to kill people and Cedric couldn't chance if this was a playful sort or an evil sort. Either way he had to be there with her. He carried a small jar of dust to sprinkle in the air in hopes to reveal the ghost and Sofia was looking around each corner, trying to find where it might be. It really didn't take long to find it, seeing as this was a castle full of things to smash and people to mess with.

Right now it was busy tearing down the portraits off the wall, even scratching them up so the paintings were ruined. She knew Cedric could fix it just fine but seeing them get clawed up worse than any cat could do upset her, especially when it was a picture of someone or something she loved. The spirit was just a red orb with an orange glow and now Sofia could hear it did indeed have a voice. It sounded male to her. Silently and stealthily the two snuck up on it and carefully Cedric spilled the powder all over the orb. The orb stayed there but was now surrounded by a dusty person, staring heatedly at the duo. It was different than the ghosts she knew, it almost didn't look human, almost like a goblin, snarling with rows of sharp teeth and had red eyes. The hair on top of it was unruly and wild, he had a bulbous hooked nose, and whiter than white skin.

All in all he looked fearsome, menacing, and not all willing to become friends. Whoever he was crawled up the wall in a strange way that near frightened Sofia and then he chuckled mischievously, narrowly evading the spell Cedric cast. As the poltergeist moved about in quick movements it dodged every beam of light that came from Cedric's wand and then it did something that took Sofia for a complete surprise. The thing flew right under her skirts so hard and fast it made them fly up, which she reacted to immediately by placing them down and blushing hard. It wasn't as if Cedric hadn't seen them but that didn't matter, her pantaloons were shown off in full display by some strange being causing her to go from just a bit annoyed to angry and distraught.

"Nice underwear, princess," The ghost slimily remarked, chortling as if this was some grand joke. "I love the cute butterflies."

Sofia turned even redder, her face screwed up in a pout and furrowed brow, eyes now blazing with shame and fury. She had never been so mortified in her life by someone, no schoolyard bully or boy had ever dared. Even some of the worst she knew would have not done this. Not even Wendell, who was known to be a trickster and did not hold her in much favor. This was something only a naughty nasty person would do and she wasn't sure if even she could forgive him for this. Cedric was appalled but more so furious at his beloved getting her most intimate undergarment revealed to the world, even if it was truly only to him. It was clear as crystal that Cedric now despised him for doing such a wicked thing. He rolled up his sleeves and with a glower and a sneer he pointed the wand at the spirit.

"You'll pay dearly for that."

"Oooh I'm so scared!" It mocked in a high voice, then stuck its fingers in its ears and rolled out its tongue. "Pffft. As if you could catch me, old man."

"Why you little...If you weren't dead already, I'd kill you!"

"Ha ha ha, I'd like to see you try, you're the worst sorcerer I've ever met."

"Hey! Enough is enough now!" Sofia cried out stamping down her foot, still flustered but insulted beyond belief for herself and her lover. "You will not disrespect my royal sorcerer like that! He is the greatest, the best, and the most amazing that ever there was. You do wrong to mock him, trust me you don't want to face a wizard's wrath."

Cedric beamed with unrestrained pride at her, defending his honor as she always did. However the goblin-like ghost did not care, and instead proceeded to laugh some more, snorting like a boar.

"Ooh ha ha! What a joke! I've seen carnival magicians that are better than him! Ha ha! Can't even blast me with a single shot. What a loser."

Sofia's mouth opened, beyond stunned at what she just heard. "You're cute when you're angry," The ghost observed, looking at her up and down as if she were some decadent dessert or a full plate of food he wished to consume. "So cute it makes me wish I wasn't a ghost."

Sofia had enough of this, her face had never in her entire life turned as red as it did now and her skin never felt so hot. While the ghost was busy laughing his head off, literally it was floating off of his neck, Sofia put one hand on her hip and the other was pointed at the giggling ghoul. Cedric was livid to say the least at the amount of insulting he had to endure but he was used to it, heard it all his life but his sweetheart had never, ever not even by the worst of the worst villains been treated like this. The spook was a sick fiend with a pension for trying to rile the worst emotions out of people. For Cedric it was hearing himself be referred to as a joke of a wizard but what was worse than that was what was done and said of Sofia. That was his woman and by the king's crown and his own wand that specter was going to suffer for what he had done to her.

"No one, and I do mean no one, says such things about my princess and gets away with it!" Cedric growled, whipping back his wand and cracking it forward, enunciating the spell perfectly and with it creating a lasso. The lasso went around the distracted spirit and tied all around him tightly. Every time he struggled the thing glowed a hard gold and red color, making a sharp noise like iron striking metal. He yanked the lasso close to him, making the spirit float just a few inches away from his face.

"Apologize. Now!"

"No way! Now let me out of this thing or I'll do something really bad!"

"It's impossible to escape so you better get used to it! Now, apologize to Sofia, right now!" Cedric demanded, tightening the cord around him so tight it was causing rope marks to appear even on the ghostly skin.

"Ouch not so tight!"

"If I weren't in front of a lady, I'd say some choice words to you, but know this, you don't deserve mercy and you won't find it here," He promised, making the rope even tighter than before, causing the red eyes to bulge a bit. "Spit it out and make it right!"

"Okay okay...fine...geesh. I'm sorry for upskirting you and making fun of you, alright?"

Sofia put her nose in the air and harrumphed, much like Amber might. "Make it tighter," She told Cedric, "I don't believe him one bit."

Sofia was never so cruel before but she had little patience for evil people, unless she felt they could be changed somehow. Taking over the kingdom, hurting her family, even stealing from her were all horrid things but what he had done was beyond that. She was used to that, she could deal with that. It was almost generically evil to her, she had yet to encounter this brand of person and never wished to again. Cedric had no qualms about her behavior, none at all, and did what she asked with only too much dark glee from it. The two with their captive in tow made their way to the king to show what was causing all the problems. Roland was in his study but he was consoling a distraught Amber who was crying hysterically. James was there too, rubbing her back and looking both cross and sad at the same time. Miranda was also there, trying to be of some comfort, offering up a tissue. All parties turned to see Sofia and Cedric and an unusual sort of being trapped in very constricting magical rope.

"What on earth is that?!" Roland questioned, shaken by the ghastly appearance it had.

"That is what has been ruining everything and everyone's day in the castle. He's a poltergeist, a very very very uncivilized one, might I add. No respect for common decency especially of royalty," Cedric answered, wanting to honestly spit on the thing but he couldn't for if he did it would just go right through him.

"Then that's the thing that bothered Amber!" James remarked with anger, staring down the creature who had wronged his dear twin. He truly loved Amber more than words could say and would do anything to protect her, she and he shared a bond like no other because they were twins. Sometimes he could feel what she felt and without being told he had felt something was wrong with her and came rushing to her side.

"What did you do to my sister?!" Sofia inquired with annoyance, arms crossed and tapping her foot in aggravation.

"He...he..." Amber responded, hiccuping and sobbing, "he ripped my dress."

James nodded firmly. "It's true, when I came into Amber's room I had to turn away, she was barely clothed. Just shreds of fabric and cuts from claw marks. I don't care what or who you are in my book you are despicable! No person, not even a ghost, should do that to a lady! You have no respect! How dare you even call yourself a man!?"

Sofia rushed to Amber's side, holding her tightly in her arms, letting her sob onto her chest. She was the younger sister but at that moment became the much older one, running her fingers through her long golden hair in a soothing way. It was enough to do what he had done but to add to it...this too? Sofia had never encountered such a beast as this, one who disturbed women like that. She hoped nothing had happened to her mother but something told her that she too had some sort of inappropriate paranormal encounter. It was possible that a lot of maids did too but might have been to embarrassed to say much of anything. Of all of them Amber suffered the worst and right now was shaking. She had been violated entirely in ways she had not even fathomed possible because she dealt with nobles who respected her. Nobody could have expected such brutish behavior. What had struck Cedric, besides the obvious, was that this could have easily been Sofia. Amber must have been alone and attacked in a vulnerable position.

Thankfully Sofia had him and it revolted him to know it could have been very different. The rope tightened so much it was choking the specter but Cedric didn't care. Fumes were coming out his ears like a teapot. Roland was no better off, that was his daughter after all and though he was not told yet he had a feeling something had happened to Sofia too, or else Cedric would not look so peeved. Those two were thick as thieves, tied and connected at the hip, even Roland knew that Cedric loved Sofia deeply, though to the extent it was he had no clue. If something happened to her it would explain Cedric's anger. He too was furious, both of his children had been tampered with in some way and he wondered if Miranda did too, if she was just trying to not tell anyone about it for the sake of decency or not at the moment since her daughters were more important. Roland could not just send a ghost to the dungeons, it could escape through the walls, and he could not do anything worse to it since it was already departed. He hoped that his royal sorcerer knew of some way to rid the castle of this fiend.

"Cedric...do you know how to expel a ghost?"

"It's a bit more advanced than you make it sound. I'd have to send him back to the spirit world and close off any way to get back here."

"But can you do it?"

"I...it might be beyond me, your highness."

"There's no way that's true, Cedric," Sofia attested, touching his arm in the gentlest way. "I know in my heart you can do this, if you believe that you can then you will. At least try...please..."

"For my kingdom and my princess, I will do all I can though it could take some time and I need to be alone for it. Don't want to accidentally send someone else to the spirit world."

"I leave it in your hands, I trust you will accomplish this."

"As you wish, your highness," Cedric responded with the deepest bow he could manage then left tugging the specter along with him who was thrashing about crazily in his confines. Before he left he threw Sofia a look, it only lasted for a second, but he tried to convey how much he loved her and that he was thankful for her, and that she was his driving force. She could read him loud and clear and she conveyed back the same and that she would be cheering him on. With that taken care of all that there was left to do was fix what they could and help whoever was harmed, most especially Amber who refused to sleep alone. James was accommodating, telling her she was more than welcome to sleep in his room. She told him not to be offended but she preferred to be with Sofia, another girl. She could not get undressed in a room with another male...not for a long time anyways. He understood but told her his door was always open.

She gave him a sisterly appreciative kiss on the forehead then started the process of moving some things to Sofia's room. Sofia didn't mind, it was like an extended slumber party and she sought to make her comfortable. Whatever she could do to get Amber's mind off of the event she would do. Even Clover was helping, he chose to cuddle up close to her face and sleep with her, in order to help her calm down. Even as she slept, she would absentmindedly pet his fur. After a little more than a week she claimed she was alright now which was good because it took about that amount of time for Cedric to be done with his task. He came out of his workshop looking almost as he did when he helped Sofia get out of the amulet.

He was drained a bit from the amount of magic he had to use but he was fine to go back to work. His muscles were sore from the effort and his back and neck were tense. What really hurt were his fingertips, this stinging in his nerves never went away when he did something so extraneous. He had the good luck of having his own personal massuist, in the form of Sofia who was more than happy to relieve his aches and pains. She had given her mother massages when she was done with work and sometimes even Roland so she was pretty good at it. Also she literally had that golden touch that soothed only him. He moaned in delight when she pressed into a knot he had in his upper back, sighing happily against her.

"Feeling better?"

"Oh yes much better. You have such a soft touch and such dainty little hands."

He took one in his own and kissed each finger and knuckle making his way up her arm. She chuckled. "Cedric..."

"Mmm?"

"I need that hand to massage you."

"I think you're done for now, dearie. It's my turn to please you."

"Oh well...I don't need any massages but thank you for offering."

"That's not what I meant," He replied in that same smooth tone of voice she could not place exactly.

"No... you don't have to um...besides you ought to rest... you've been working so hard."

"You seem to think that means I don't have enough energy for you," He remarked, kissing her further up her arm. Sofia could not resist his attempt and he could not resist her. It was no wonder then she was later in his room, more exhausted than he was surprisingly. Her hair was draped around her face in tangles, her smile to him was weak but full of bliss.

"Sleep precious," He cooed, playing with her curly ends.

"Not sleepy...just...a bit worn out."

"After that I assume most women would be, I mean I am the most spectacular man in all fields."

"This is very true but you know...we really ought to tell everyone about us...I don't like keeping secrets."

He put his arms behind his head as he laid there, thinking about that. "I...don't know how that would pan out, my sweet. Your father holds me in high regard and knows I care for you but I think he'd bop me aside the head if he found out about all this...or worse than that."

"He wouldn't if I had anything to say about it and I do. I won't let anything happen to you. Please, come with me on a day where he's not so stressed or busy and then we can tell him. He listens much easier if he's relaxed."

"That may take a while as affairs of state have been demanding his attention. A king's work is never done. So what do we do until then... keep this under cloak and dagger?"

"We'll play it by ear but we have to be careful, okay? You can't keep kissing me in the hallways you know."

"Hmph. I suppose that's fair...but Sofia, that so called prince was a bust don't you think that your father might try to get other suitors for you at some point? He has to secure your future and the kingdoms as well. What then? I don't think I can manage watching men woo you, even if they are all failures compared to moi."

"I...haven't thought of that...I don't know..."

"Sofia, I get very jealous very quickly and I can't be held accountable for my actions if some two bit prince decides to put the moves on you."

Sofia laid across him, contemplating what to do about this scenario. "I could...try to tell him not to send anyone. He'll listen to me, at least I hope so. Mom will, I know that for a fact, she always does."

"Well your mother is much more mild-mannered than your father and understanding. Something you inherited. I do like your mother, she's always been kind to me but...I like her daughter even more."

"I should hope so!" Sofia replied, laughing softly. "So we'll just see...but if all else fails and I still get sent suitors you'll just have to control yourself, alright? Just remember, I am and always will be yours. Nobody could possibly ever replace you."

"Why's that, dear?" He knew why he just liked to hear it.

"Because you're the greatest person I could possibly hope to be with. You treat me like a queen and yet I can be as silly or as playful or as crazy as I want to be around you and not be judged for it."

He grasped her and rolled around with her causing her to laugh again, spreading kisses wherever he could reach. "Be that as it may, love, I don't think I can control myself with you... in many ways."

"So I've noticed."

"Oh have you? Would you care to notice it again?"

She blushed and shyly looked at him. It mattered not how many times it was done she was always shy about it but he didn't mind, he thought it made her even more attractive and charming. The next day she made sure to tell her father to send no suitors for her but he inquired as to why. She wasn't lying when she said that she wasn't ready for anyone yet. Her mother was there too when she said that and seemed to see something in her daughter's eyes that made her not so sure about that answer. So later she found her in the regular library, curled up with a fictional storybook, reading it with interest. Sofia was not alarmed when she was taken out of the story but she did gasp a bit. She turned and saw her mother who asked if she could sit next to her and she told her that was fine.

"What are you reading?"

"It's one of my favorites, Beauty and the Beast."

"Oh yes you always loved that one when you were little. I remember one year you wanted me to make you a dress just like Princess Belle. You looked so adorable that day with your paper tiara. Now look at you, a real proper princess and growing up so fast. You have achieved so much so soon in your life, it makes me happy that you are so ambitious."

"Thank you, mom. Despite everything I am glad I went to that school. I learned so much."

"And you made lots of new friends too... but...Sofia...could I ask you something a bit personal?"

"Sure you can ask me anything," Sofia explained, closing her book and folding her legs under her.

"Did you have any school crushes?"

"No, not one, though I was told a lot of boys did like me."

"I just want you to know it's okay if you did, I don't want you to feel like you can't like someone just because they aren't royal. I mean look at me, I certainly didn't ever dream I was going to be queen one day while I was making shoes."

"I know...dad loved you for you, even though you were from different class systems."

"So you see, it can happen to anyone anywhere so I want you to know you can tell me if you do like someone who isn't a royal because I have a feeling there's more to why you said you don't want suitors. Do you already have someone you like but you don't want to tell?"

Sofia couldn't lie, for many reasons, but it wasn't her nature to lie. The most she could do was stretch the truth or not even answer the question but she trusted her mother. "...Yes..."

"No need to sound so ashamed. Who is it?"

"I...can't tell you..."

"Sofia," She calmly said, placing her hand on her daughter's. "You can talk to me, confide in me, tell me anything you want. I'm your mother, you should be able to trust me."

"I do trust you it's just...he and I are not what anyone wants or expects...so I just don't tell anyone not after being laughed at by Amber."

"Amber knows but I don't?"

"I didn't think anything of it back then but I know now some people just...can't accept us."

Her mother had her thinking face on then gathered up Sofia's hands in hers. She looked into her daughter's eyes, seeing her departed husband who also couldn't lie to save his life. An honest hardworking man Birk was and he gave her this beautiful woman with that same sort of twinkle in her eyes, that adventurous and honest look he had. While she had Miranda's eye color, she had the look in them that reminded her of him. Even though she was married now and loved Roland with all her heart she still missed him to this day and every year on his anniversary of his death she would litter the ocean with flowers. All she had of him was Sofia, who had so much in common with him. They were both unique, a bit odd, free spirited, loved the open sea and storms, altruistic, and open minded. If he was here right now he too would know what Miranda knew, that their Sofia was holding something back.

She stroked her cheek delicately. "Sofia...be honest with me...is it Cedric?"

Sofia's face went through an array of colors and she wanted to avert her eyes but couldn't. It was enough of an answer for her mother.

"I thought so."

"Mom please I'm begging you don't tell dad!"

"I won't tell him, because that's your business and it's private. I don't tell him anything you tell me unless it's important that he know. You should tell him, though, he has a right to know about who you choose to be with."

"You don't care either?"

"Either? Who else knows?"

"Aunt Tilly..."

"I see. It must be easier to confide in someone so much like you than me..."

"No mom, it's just...it was hard to even tell her she just guessed it like you and I broke down and confessed I loved him. I was and am so scared...I want to tell dad but I want to make sure he is in the right state of mind. He's been too busy and stressing. Right now isn't a good time. Besides...even still...he might not be like you..."

"You'd be surprised, Sofia. You don't know him as well as I do, he's different than most people think. I bet you'll see that he won't be as mad as you think but he will be upset that you waited so long to tell him."

"I know...I know...I'm still shocked that you don't mind."

"If you love him and he loves you then why should I mind? I think he has shown us that he cares about you, would protect you and he's polite and well mannered, he makes you laugh and smile so big. Anyone like that isn't bad to me. Does he...know...?"

"Yes...he loves me right back but I have loved him longer...since I was young even. I would play pretend with the dolls and make believe we were married..." Sofia admitted with a light blush, laughing at herself.

"It's easy to believe he loves you, it's kind of obvious to everyone his whole world revolves around you. I'm happy for you both and really you are good for him anyways so I'm happy he found his perfect match. Honestly, he deserves it after all he's went through."

"Yes he deserves a lot of things but especially love and I intend to give that to him every day."

"That's wonderful, sweetie but I still advise you to tell your father before this gets out of hand. He's not too busy right now, at least I don't think he is, and if you want, I'll even come with you."

"Cedric has to be there too...and I don't think he's ready... I think he's still scared of dad sometimes...this is a big deal and I want to handle it with care. Can I just...check in on dad first?"

Miranda nodded and Sofia placed her book down on the side table. She walked her way to where she knew her father would be and hesitated a little before knocking. She could hear multiple voices in there, he must have been in a meeting. She couldn't interrupt him now what if it was important? She had to check, it could just be something more simple than she made out. Sofia knocked on the door and waited a little then heard her father's permission to enter. When she did, he was standing there with King Magnus and Lady Joy was there too, beaming brightly when she saw Sofia and waving from a big chair. She had grown since Sofia last saw her into a very attractive young woman, heavier set than most princesses but Sofia didn't mind or care. It made her look very huggable and welcoming. She wore a small white fuzzy coat around herself even though it was only a bit chilly and a cute hoop skirted dress decorated in blues, greens, and yellows.

Beside King Magnus was a woman, very slender and with pointed features, her hair was parted, blonde, and she had two sharp eyebrows. She looked stern and firm but beautiful no less. Sofia had never seen this woman but she looked similar to Lady Joy. She had never heard of a queen to that kingdom but this had to be her they looked alike despite one being petite and the other not. She turned her eyes toward Sofia, smiling in a pleasant manner, each of her jewels sparkling in the light just like Joy's. Beside her was a young man with brown hair smoothed back into a pony tail and wearing clothes befitting a person of high stature with white tights and high black buckled shoes, his attire was mostly pastel blues and he had her nose but he also looked like Magnus.

"Oh hello Sofia, I was going to come get you in a while," Her father stated, smiling his best smile, the kind he wore in front of royal company. "You already know King Magnus and Lady Joy but allow me to introduce you to Queen Bliss and the young Lord Alexey."

The boy rose an eyebrow at Sofia, not at all smiling to which the queen noticed and pushed him forward, whispering something in his ears. Sofia noticed he rolled his eyes a bit then bowed before her, taking her hand and though putting it on his lips never kissing it. She was fine without it so she didn't mind at all. In fact she preferred this.

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Sofia."

"Ah ah ah, she's Lady Sofia," The queen instructed.

"Mother..."

"Oh it's okay, I am fine being called princess. It's very nice to meet all of you. Are you and Lady Joy related?"

"He's my half brother and he lives with my mom."

Sofia understood this situation for there was another princess in the same boat, Hildegard. She was more spoiled than Amber because her parents thought they could buy her love, try to make her stay with one over the other. Sofia had heard of this thing called separation, where two parents no longer loved each other and parted ways, sharing the child between them. She was glad that was not her parents at all and she was certain she'd never fall out of love with Cedric. Sofia asked nothing else of it because it was a delicate subject. Instead she just shook her head to signify she understood. Also she was well aware that King Magnus was not Joy's father, he was obviously Alexey's father, they just shared a mother. Sofia didn't understand their living situation really, Lady Joy with her real father and her real mother with someone else and to add to that this young lord lived with their mother. There was a lot she didn't know about relationships but she didn't think it was any of her business anyways.

"So Sofia, I hope you aren't too busy because I'm going to be helping King Magnus and Queen Bliss with something important but until then the young lady and lord are going to stay here for a while. Do you think you'd mind showing Lord Alexey the sights? He hasn't been to Enchancia as often as Joy."

"Sure, no problem. I can't wait to show you everything you're just going to love it here!"

"Greeeaatt I'm soooo excited," He drawled out with a bored sarcastic tone. Unlike Cedric who usually did it in a way Sofia thought as cute and somehow charming this was obviously just him being rude. His mother noticed and swatted the back of his head with a disapproving glare. "I mean I can't wait to see your wonderful land."

Sofia didn't much care for his attitude but would be as pleasant as she could manage. Lady Joy excitedly joined her side, holding tightly to her hand and talking with her in her strong but sweet voice. Upon her coifed ringlets she wore a large glitzy emerald and sapphire tiara that had a short veil trailing behind it, matched with big chunky sapphire earrings hanging from her lobes. She always did have a love for fashion and jewelry but also for cute things like animals. She also wore a ring with a sizable pearl on it. Yet as much as she doused herself in finery, she was one of the most lovable people and kind too, polite as could be, a well-bred princess without a doubt.

"Ohhhh Sofia I love love love your tiara. Those are rubies, right?"

"Yes, it was a gift made by our royal sorcerer, you've met him."

"The skinny tall guy with the funny voice and the different colored hair? He was strange but if he gave you something like that then he must be fantastically fantastic. See this ring? It was given to me as a gift too by the boy of my dreams," She explicated with a long loving sigh and a dreamy far off look.

"She never shuts up about him," Her brother complained, shaking his head and grimacing in disgust. "She never shuts up in general."

"Alexey you are so mean to me! You better stop or I'll tell on you!"

Joy wagged her finger at him, much shorter and pudgier but looked fierce. She could be sometimes just like Magnus in a lot of ways, who was quick to get annoyed at something. It was funny because they weren't truly related. Alexey looked displeased and mumbled hotly under his breath the phrase "spoiled brat." While Sofia could agree she was rather spoiled it did not ruin her and it was most likely because she was little, her family's precious girl and the separation too. It was probably hard on her and Sofia wanted to be there for her to help ease that. She wasn't sure when this had happened or for how long or why the two were even here. All she knew was Joy was no brat, she could be a little short sometimes but most of the time she was the nicest person.

Sofia showed them all her favorite sights with Joy exclaiming happily at each one and oohing over everything like it was brand new while Alexey looked as if he'd have more fun in the stocks. She tried her best to include him, to talk to him, to be passive and polite and put her best foot forward, but nothing seemed to break him. She brought them to a wishing well, not the one in her backyard, and they all made wishes. Alexey wished he wasn't there right now. Sofia even offered to buy them a sweet treat, a pumpkin caramel cream puff, something made up for the oncoming holiday. He refused in the rudest way possible but Joy took his and ate it, shrugging as he complained that it was his.

"You didn't want it so it's mine now."

Sofia was inclined to agree, she wasn't sure why he was going back and forth on it. At dinner he was just as glum and malcontent, poking at his dinner while everyone else ate, Magnus helping himself to another helping while his ex-wife ate daintily, covering her mouth whenever she wanted to speak. Joy too, could eat a lot and James had a competition with her to see who could fit the most meatballs in their mouth. It was a funny sight for Sofia and even Amber couldn't help but laugh at it all. Her mother smiled but told her to mind her manners and act like a lady.

"You know in MYYY kingdom we have meatballs twice this size," Magnus proclaimed causing Roland to sigh heavily.

"And here we go," He whispered distraughtly to Miranda who nodded her head but retained her pleasant smile.

"Our chefs are the finest in the land, five star cuisine from every land imaginable. Curries from Tangu, noodles from Wei Ling, you name it we have it all."

"That's very nice," Roland replied, not at all hiding his disdain but trying to smile.

"Oh and you should have seen the dessert platter made for us. Every kind of cake and stacked 5 feet high decorated with only the best and rarest things found. Did you know they can form sugar into edible stained glass windows?"

"How interesting," Miranda complied, darting her eyes over to the queen next to her who gave her the same look Roland had. She too could not stand this.

"Of course not everything is so wonderful in your kingdom, is it father? Didn't your royal sorcerer try to usurp you?"

"Hush now, Alexey, that's not something to talk about at the table. Besides we dispatched Greylock as soon as we were able. We've recently found an even better sorcerer, Fwintley the Phenominal."

"That doesn't even start with F," Alexey smartly remarked under his breath.

"What was your sorcerers name again? Frederick?"

"It's Cedric," Sofia pronounced appropriately but Magnus waved it away and continued his conversation.

Dinner went on much like that, with hearty laughs from Magnus and looks across the board of shared exasperation. As part of their stay Joy would be staying in Sofia's room and Alexey would be staying in James's room. Amber was fine with Joy staying with her but Joy preferred Sofia, she knew her better, but she gave Amber a hug to let her know she did like her. Sofia was still up and continued reading her book by a tiny light, small enough to not disturb the slumber of her guest, when she saw a streak of black outside, a lengthy shadow stalking about. It did not frighten her but she knew it might frighten someone else and she wasn't sure if it was something to even be frightened of so she checked it out. Grabbing her overcoat and putting on her slippers she investigated the creature, going into the gardens, hearing the crunching of dirt and leaves. When she looked at the flower patch, she noticed this was no scary monster, it was Cedric collecting his herbs.

"Out doing some late midnight gardening, Cedric?"

He jumped a little at the voice, not used to even hearing anyone around at this time of night. Minerva jumped a little too, her feathers fluffing up and a hoot escaped her. He grasped his heart and breathed in and out quickly, caught entirely off guard by her but he collected himself soon enough. He straightened out his robe and cleared his throat.

"Yes...the glowing gallowlays are out right now and if I don't get them at this time I'll have to wait until the next full moon. They only grow at very specific times. Anyway that's not important, what are you doing up at this hour?"

"You startled me too, I must admit. I saw a long shadow outside my window."

"And you thought, gee let me go see what this potentially life threatening thing could be?"

"It's my job to protect this realm and as the princess it is my duty to make sure my kingdom is safe."

"Always so noble, but you really ought to be in bed, my love. Sorry for awaking you."

"No you didn't, I was already up. I can't sleep Lady Joy snores so loud."

"Lady who now?" Cedric asked, scratching his head.

"You know, you met her when I made the bad Sofia. She and her older brother are going to be staying here for a while, didn't you know?"

He stood up straight, staring at her but looking through her and looking cross. "Excuse me, did I hear you correctly? There is a boy, assumedly a prince, about your age staying here...overnight...for who knows how long?"

"Yes and a princess too. Why? Something wrong?"

"Oh something is sure as heck is wrong! He's a boy, in a bedroom, close to yours and you are a beautiful and wonderfully formed woman. Just the thought of it is making my blood boil!" Cedric heatedly replied, tearing at his bangs while he explained himself, looking madder than a hatter.

"Cedric I told you, you have nothing to worry about. My heart is yours forever."

"That's all good and well but he doesn't know that! Unless...of course I just tell him who it is you belong to..."

"Don't you dare. Now Cedric, calm down, alright? He's not even interested in me, in fact I think he doesn't like me at all...or anything besides being discourteous. He doesn't even look at me when I talk to him and he's always upset like he'd rather be anywhere but near me. So there's nothing to fear."

Cedric didn't say it out loud but he thought this prince stupid for not drooling all over her because anyone could tell she was the most beautiful woman in all the land. He was glad he wasn't though. He did not intend to fight over her or share her with anyone. She was his Sofia, his princess, his everything. It was a good thing the prince was either blind or just not into her because Cedric could not contain himself as much as Sofia pleaded, he could not help it. He still didn't like the idea of some male seeing her in her sleepwear and he told her this. She looked over herself, she was covered head to toe in pink with ruffles and tiny bows. It was the picture of girlishness nothing like the attire he made for her.

"But I'm completely clothed, you can only see my ankles."

He looked her up and down slowly, a sly grin on his face but he said nothing, his thoughts of her he chose not to say aloud. It was very late, she shouldn't even be up and he really shouldn't be thinking about what he was thinking about. So took her face in his hands and kissed her with as much passion as he could muster and she did not tell him not to because no one else was awake at this time. She enjoyed being able to kiss like that out in the open, surrounded by all the lovely scents of the night.

"Now...to bed with you, princess and have pleasant dreams."

"Goodnight Cedric, sleep well."

She walked away from him and he watched her go, already lamenting over the loss of her warmth in his arms. It was so lonesome without her that night in his bed and he hugged the pillow she usually laid on, nuzzling his nose into it, smelling her all over it. As Sofia went into her room and finally went to sleep, she did not know how wrong she was in her thoughts. She thought no one else was up but someone was and though they did not see her secret scandalous acts in the dark they did see her in the dim glow of the light she kept on to read her book. That light bathed her, it made her look even more angelic than usual. The midnight stalker sighed longingly then retreated into the shadows stealthily. Cedric would soon find he really did have something to worry about after all.


	17. Chapter 17

Sofia awoke, stretching and rubbing her eyes. It was hard to go to sleep with someone who snored so much but she did it. Joy was also someone who liked to sleep in a lot so Sofia let her sleep, tip toeing her way out the door and closing it as softly as possible. She wondered how James faired, if Alexey was just as callous and cold shouldered as he was with them. She hoped not for his sake because James could get really aggravated at someone like that. Aside from knight classes he also did a lot of chivalry classes so he could not stand anyone with such behavior. It was still early so she went out and fed the birds and other woodland friends of hers, hearing a howling in the distance and vaguely seeing what looked like the wolf that she helped in the forest.

After that she went back into her room and picked out her clothes, got dressed, and tried to rouse her slumbering bed companion. It took a while to actually get Lady Joy up and at 'em but she inevitably did rise and with the help of the maids they were both ready to go. Breakfast would be served soon so she walked with her towards the dining room, greeting Amber along the way then James, who was acting cranky and noticeably looked tired. She wondered if Alexey snored too. There was no time to ask because the young lord was up and about too, still looking bored and agitated by everything. Sofia said good morning to him, a chipper bright eyed morning person, but received only a gruff hmph back. Amber's eyes went a little wide and she opened her fan to speak to Sofia with some privacy.

"He's not like any prince I've ever met. All of them are decorous, well bred, he's just...well... I don't know what word to use."

"He's certainly different..." Sofia stated, sighing to herself. She too had never met a prince who was so impolite. So much so that when they came to the dining room it was James and James alone who pulled out all their chairs. Alexey didn't even bother, he just looked grumpy and miserable. James shook his head at him and sighed with irritation under his breath. It wasn't his place to say anything but if this disrespect should continue, he just might.

"Thank you, Sir James," Lady Joy said with a perky voice, folding her napkin in her lap.

"You're welcome, Lady Joy."

"Good morning all," Roland called out, sitting at the head of the table as always. Everyone exchanged pleasantries...except Alexey. He barely grumbled. Sofia was trying to liven up the conversation with talks about the oncoming all Hallows Eve party and inviting all the witches and warlocks she knew. She also wanted to invite Callista to her first big girl party and bring over Callista's third best friend (Sofia and Cedric were her second and first), the giggling goblin. Sofia had a lot of plans and as she talked her eyes went alight with the wonder of it all.

"We could have a pumpkin carving contest," James added on, wanting to show off his fancy sword and knife skills.

"Ooh and a best costume contest too!" Amber chimed in, her mind reeling with various ideas for an outfit.

"Can I come? I love parties and especially ones around fall. That's when everyone makes the caramel apples!"

"Yes you could come and you can bring Alexey," Sofia added on, trying to always remain royal and polite no matter what happened.

He sucked his teeth and looked off to the side. "I'd rather not embarrass myself in some silly costume."

"Everyone will be dressed up, Alexey. Come on, it's going to be such fun. There will be candy, music, dancing, games, not to mention the decorations will be ah-mazing. The staff always does a spooktaculaur job," Sofia remarked with a giggle.

"...Hmph. Fine I guess."

"Great! As Aunt Tilly says, it will be whizzbang!"

Breakfast went well, as well as could be with the ever so grouchy and unpleasant Alexey. Fortunately Sofia didn't have to deal with him much and instead focused on Joy who she took outside to push on the swing since she was asking so much. Sofia pulled the swing back as far as she could and pushed it forward smiling as Joy laughed asking her to do it again. Joy was such an outgoing and pleasant person, Sofia really did like her very much it's just due to distance and her not going to princess school she didn't see her much. Amber was there too, sitting in a chair enjoying the breeze while she watched the two playing. They were still like children, going about chasing each other playing tag. Joy tagged Amber and ran away and then she got involved. She had to admit it was fun to be this way, so carefree. As future queen her duties left her little time for such things and as a growing woman, she felt she should focus on the adult aspects of her life.

She was so engrossed in her duties that she forgot how to let go and have a good time. Sofia was running away as fast as could be, laughing wildly and trying to escape being tagged. The noise made Cedric look outside, always just a bit too nosy for his own good. When he saw her, his Sofia, running like that as free as the wind, a smile on her face, the light in her eyes, he let out a soft breath of air. Minerva watched a little, though through one eye. She was getting tired but smiled, as much as an owl could smile, at the playful nature of the princess and the totally in love face Cedric had. She pressed herself against the tower, catching her breath and hiding in the tall brushes. She looked up and saw him peering out, somehow always catching him doing that.

She waved at him and then put her finger to her lips, asking him not to reveal her hiding spot. He nodded at her and continued to watch her frolicking. The girls continued their chasing around until they were all tuckered out. Amber needed some refreshment after all that and the other girls agreed, following her inside for something to drink. Joy was having a blast so far which was good because Sofia would hate for her to feel blue, it didn't suit her at all. Amber sat them down and plaited both of their hair to get it out of the way so if they continued playing it would not mess up their hairdos. Sofia looked at her small braid with the bow and felt almost like the fancy horses she saw with braided tails and flowers. Joy had more hair so her braid was more complicated. Since Sofia thought of flowers, she weaved a flower crown for Joy, who took off her own bejeweled tiara for it. Most of the day they played around, Sofia filling her in on all the things that had happened and telling her tales of her adventures in the Mystic Isles.

"Wow wow Sofia, you do so much! I don't get to go places like that, I usually have to stay home. Daddy is afraid something might happen to me, says the world is big and scary but it can't be so bad, not if you have a friend. Do you think you could take me some place special...somewhere far away on an adventure? I'd like to see the world," Joy explained, looking out the window with a longing expression but it was also sad and made Sofia frown. She touched her shoulder.

"I promise I will. In fact you know what...I'll make you a member of the Princess Adventure Club and we can have our first adventure right now!"

"Really? Oh I should change into something comfortable! I can't wait I really can't!"

She skipped away trying to find something suitable to wear and while she did that Sofia went in her head to formulate a plan. She thought of exotic places and though Khaldun or even Corinthia would be nice she thought of something even better. Sofia got her horse out and called upon Skye, she just knew Joy would love to ride a real unicorn, she might even squeal about it. She was going to take her to Rainbow Falls, a magical place where the water was all different colors and gems littered the floor of the lakes and ponds. It was a veritable wonderland with cyan trees and purple leaves, blue grass and lots of places to explore. Plus, Sofia knew the fall fairies and pixies would be out now painting the leaves oranges and golds. That would be something exciting for her.

She felt bad for Joy, being locked up in her home like that with nowhere to really go and very few friends. It was no wonder she was always so happy to be here when she came and appreciated anything. She was home schooled too so she never got to experience the wonders of learning magic from unique magicians or anything like that. She was just as easily in love with magic as any young person would be and even the smallest of fireworks could make her smile. Sofia was sure Cedric wouldn't mind at all putting on a show for the visiting royals. Joy did in fact squeal gaily when she saw what she would be riding and gave Skye so much love and affection it made him affectionate towards her, nuzzling his muzzle into her and whinnying in delight at the kisses bestowed onto him. For some reason Joy started crying but she was smiling too.

"Is...something wrong, Joy?"

"It's just...I've always dreamed one day I'd get to see one, a unicorn I mean, with a pearl horn and silver hooves and big fluffy wings just like this. I dreamed and wished for so long...since I was small. I heard if you see one it will bring you happiness forever. I feel like it's true because I'm so very happy right now. Thank you, Sofia."

"You're welcome, Joy. I'm glad I could make your day even better than it already was. Now let me help you up and strap you in. Skye flies a lot smoother than Minimus and will be gentle with you but I don't want you to fall off."

Sofia helped her into a saddle decorated with rhinestones and buckled her in, just in case. As she said Skye was easier to ride on for a beginner, since Minimus was more stocky and used to flying fast and hard. Skye was born from clouds and wishes, he was just like air itself, his wings felt like cotton candy. Still it was best to be safe. They rose into the air, Sofia making sure to watch that Joy was alright. In fact she wasn't sure if she had ever rode on a flying anything besides a carriage but she was handling it well, holding tightly to him but gently so not to hurt him. They were off and the whole way Sofia flew slower than she usually did and right next to Skye. At one point Joy held out her hands and claimed she felt like a bird. It worried Sofia she might fall but luckily she didn't. They landed at Rainbow Falls without issue and as soon as they got there Joy was entranced, touching the water and the grass and pointing at the unusual flowers.

"You can drink it, you know. Each color tastes different."

"That's sooo so so wonderfully wonderful!"

She sipped the yellow it tasted of lemon tarts, the red tasted like cherry cordials, the blue like blueberry pie, the green like green apple streusel, the orange tasted like orange creamsicle and the purple tasted like fizzing grape juice. All together it was like a fruit salad, an explosion of flavor in your mouth and yet the water felt like plain old water and smelled like plain old water with just the hint of sweetness. She took a handful of water and splashed it upwards then spun in the falling rainbow droplets.

"Best day ever!"

"It's not over yet, look."

Sofia was pointing towards where she saw little lights. It was the pixies of autumn come to paint the leaves, gathering up the oranges and yellows and dabbling it on. Joy watched with her mouth open, awed at everything she was seeing. One of the pixies landed on her finger and sat there, waving at her then flew off leaving a glittering trail. She was mesmerized. They sat there for a while, snacking and enjoying the view. Skye was being very friendly towards Joy, constantly by her side and giving her love. He told Sofia it was because he could sense some sadness in her and wanted to make it better.

Unicorns could always feel emotions far more than any animals particularly happiness and sadness and they always strove to make young maidens cheerful. In all old paintings there were many pictures of unicorns and pegacorns, which is what Skye technically was, painted next to women. Unicorns have a long history of being the embodiment of purity so they were always found near pure women, a symbol that the woman was kind, gentle, and regal, just as unicorns were. That fit Sofia and Joy very well.

"Sofia you are the greatest friend I could ever ask for. Truly you are. I could never have imagined going to such a place. I will remember it always."

"Here," Sofia handed over a jar of the water, one color each layering on top of the other in the jar, "take this home with you so you can always have something to help you recall what a great time you had."

"That's perfect. I'll put it right on my shelf and look at it forever. This has really been the greatest day I ever did have. I can't think of anything better."

"Well what about some magic? Me and Cedric can perform for you."

"That would be terrific if you did. Really really it would be! It's so outstanding that you can do magic, I haven't heard of too many princesses that can. I can't wait!"

Sofia and Joy flew back with her holding onto the reigns and the jar with the upmost care. She immediately went to show it off to everyone and proceed to explain where she had been and how lovely everything was. While she was doing that Sofia sought out Cedric and explained what she had planned. He didn't mind doing a few tricks especially with her and for her. They had a performance right after lunch, the two of them having what was commonly called a wizard's duel. It's something older than Merlin himself, though he was the champion of it, and usually the people would transform but in this case they were just trying to outdo the other with spells. It was obvious who the winner would be but Sofia put up a great fight. There was no contest, between her and Cedric he was the one with the most power.

They both bowed to their audience who all roared with applause...all except the one who was only half heartedly clapping. Cedric departed after that, he was a busy man after all and that was fine with Sofia, she never expected him to stay long. He had work to do. If only she wasn't so busy herself she'd tell her father all about them but now she had to wait until after the business with King Magnus and Queen Bliss, whatever it was. If they were openly together she would have kissed his cheek at least and he might have done a bit more than that but they, most specifically he, had to control themselves. Alexey didn't care for magic at all, he scoffed and went away somewhere. James seemed to be relieved that he was gone, letting out a long exaggerated ugh, leaning his head on Amber's shoulder.

"Tired?" She asked him, looking at him like she wanted to nudge him off.

"Yes sick and tired of you know who. No offense Joy but your brother he's..."

"No need to explain. He's always like that, at least every time I get to see him. He's just a sour puss, I don't know why though. Mom is stern and likes to have things done a certain way but she's not mean to him neither is his father. They both love us very much and are trying to make things the best they can with the way things are now."

"You poor thing," Amber empathized, holding her close. "It must be so difficult. I know. My closest friend has the same issue with her parents."

"Really? I was starting to think I was the only one. I guess in a way it's nice to hear I'm not alone in my struggles. Plus I have a lot of friends like you to help cheer me up. I wonder sometimes if Alexey is that way because he's upset about all this. I hope he doesn't blame me...though I suppose I blame myself sometimes."

"It's not your fault at all...these things just happen," Sofia explained in a comforting tone.

"Yeah it has nothing to do with you. Sometimes two people just don't get along anymore so it has to do with the two of them," Amber added, hugging Joy still.

"You're a super awesome person to be around and I bet your parents think the same thing and always will. So don't blame yourself for anything," James told her with a bright smile.

"Thank you...all of you."

Days went by and Joy and her brother stayed the whole time and every day it was the same. Joy and the rest enjoyed themselves but Alexey cared very little about it, just sulked or was not polite. James had enough of it hearing him whine and moan and gripe and be unprincely to his sisters, to Joy, to everyone. He was a guest he should be thankful. James was often off training to help ease his mind, he'd rather take out his frustrations on a wooden soldier or a suit of armor or a padded protected fellow knight than the person who he didn't care for. James liked everyone all the time, gave Cedric a second chance because he felt he wasn't as bad as everyone thought, and every prince knew him as the guy to be friends with. Yet James found at last someone he truly could not be around without some frustration. Wendell, his new friend who was a young sorcerer in training, had been bad at some point too but even James found something in him he liked.

After summer camp the two were close companions, even if they seemed to be different. Alexey on the other hand was not someone James could wrap his mind around so he decided to just ignore him, as hard as that was. Sofia never stopped trying, perhaps she could find what it was that made him so off and help him with it but every time she talked to him he shut her out, snubbed her, rolled his eyes and stomped off. The two siblings were staying long enough to be attending the all Hallows Eve party and Roland claimed that they would be going home a few days after that. Until then Sofia would not give up if she could help it. She had dealt with a lot of stubborn people but if it was pride or stubbornness it was the worst case of it she had seen. It kept up even as the Hallows Eve party was getting started. Cedric was making large pumpkins and all sorts of decorations, even dancing skeletons.

His niece was dressed up as a red spider and she thought herself so scary that she kept going around and going boo at everyone. Amber decided to be a circus performer, more so the ringmaster with a showy glittery outfit and gold epaulets. James decided it would be funny to be a lion and Amber would have him jump through hoops. Joy was dressed as a fairy because she loved them so much and Alexey seemed content to just wear orange and black clothing, not really a costume at all. Everyone was there that she could think of making this event the best she could hope for. Sofia greeted everyone that walked in, setting up a table outside for the trick or treaters. As she placed a pumpkin shaped bowl down full of brightly wrapped candy, she heard a little whistle behind her. She turned around and saw Cedric who was dressed somewhat normal, his robes seemed black this time and decorated with crescent moons. His bowtie almost looked like a bat.

"Hi! Do you like my costume?" She asked him, showing it off.

Sofia decided to be something a little on the dark side this time. She was a vampire with a black dress and red going down the front, spiderweb like lace, and black eyelids. It was a different look for her as no one had ever seen her in black before but everyone seemed to think it was one of the best costumes. She had stayed up for a long time making it and even now her wrists hurt from sewing. She also had fingerless gloves which she kept staring at, reminded of the very person in front of her who looked at her from top to bottom.

"My dear I wish I could express how much I looovee it but there are children about," He eluded, winking at her. "Let's just say it looks bloody good on you."

Sofia laughed at his pun then proceeded to pretend to be a vampire, hissing at him and baring her teeth. He played along, pretending to be scared of her though in that outfit it was very hard for him to be anything but.

"You know...to be honest I don't think I'd mind a wee bite on the neck," Cedric confessed with a leer making Sofia's cheeks turn as red as her lips.

"Cedric...! You can't say things like that out loud..."

"I know. I know. You just make that very difficult...looking the way you do. I shall do my best to keep my hands and my thoughts to myself. Go, away my mistress of the night, and enjoy your party."

Sofia made sure her table was just right before she waved at him and left to enjoy herself some more. The apple cider was delicious and warm and all the treats were enough to give anyone a sugar high. It seemed to be working on some of the younger ones attending as Callista was spinning around and around in circles just as giddy as could be. Everyone seemed to be having a great time except Alexey who stood there in the corner, ho humming and looking abject to everything. She put it upon herself to fill him with holiday cheer and so she made her way over to him. He barely looked up at her when she came in front of him and offered up a cinnamon swirl cookie. He swatted it away, making the thing fall to the floor.

Baileywick was quick to clean up the mess but the mess wasn't what bothered Sofia, it was his mannerisms through the whole time he was staying here. Actually Baileywick didn't care for it either, he was acting beastly this whole time, but he had no say in such affairs. Sofia had enough of it, just as James did and she knew he was most likely experiencing the worst of it as Alexey stayed in his room. "What's the matter with you? Why did you do that? If you didn't want it you could just say no thank you. There's no reason to act the way you have been acting and it's not just today either. You haven't been very nice to anyone. We are really going out of our way to make sure you enjoy your time here and you've never thanked us once and you've been disrespectful for no reason."

He shrugged nonchalantly, not looking at her as he sat in the chair. "What if there is a reason?"

"Then you can talk to me about it not shoo me away. It isn't nice of you to treat us all like that when we have done nothing to you but give you our kindness and hospitality."

"I've got a lot to deal with and some stupid princess is not going to be able to help me. You wouldn't even understand."

"Stupid?!" Sofia's eyebrows arched downward and her voice had risen but not loud enough to disturb anyone. "I have been accepting of you, of your situation and I have been nothing short of giving and helpful and you call me stupid? You don't know me and that's because you didn't get to know me at all. You didn't even try! I just want to know what it is that has you thinking it's okay to act like this? Is it because of your parents?"

"That's none of your business and yes, I didn't get to know you, of course not. I didn't want to get to know you. I could tell very well what sort of person you were, despicably optimistic and cheery all the time. You don't have your eyes open to the real world. For you everything is a fantasy. Well you know what, princess, life isn't really like that. Sometimes things get tough and you have to just suck it up and deal with it. So leave me alone to deal with my own issues. Thanks."

Sofia's blue eyes were full of intense feelings almost none of which were positive. She felt appalled, belittled, hurt, wounded, debased, she felt angry, she felt upset, and though she didn't know him she felt betrayed somehow. Yet she stood there as a tower of nobility, her aura was regal and imposing, her low eye lidded eyes looked at him with this look that made him worried. The best thing for her to do was to walk away from this situation and not make it any worse. If he wanted to be alone then fine by her. She started to walk away hurriedly, hands folded in front of her, but back arched perfectly. She was poised and calm, she would not let this phase her.

She was mature enough to know when something was not worth her time. Also he did not know her at all if he thought she was like that. She was a bit carefree, loved whimsy and wonder, and indeed was optimistic but she knew reality. The young lord did not know of her many adventures that were perilous, he did not know how much danger she was always in, how many battles she fought some of which were on her own. Seeing her sister get taken down by Ivy, seeing her family frozen, being let down and had her heart nearly broken by someone she loved, almost losing her kingdom more than once, and almost losing her spirit and self in the amulet. He had no clue she was a story book keeper, that she had helped and saved so many, that she had so much she did in the world, and he was not there that awful day where she laid underneath Cedric and thought for what felt like a horrifying eternity that he was dead on top of her.

He was not there to see her scars, her tears, her ups and downs of living the life she chose to lead. No he knew nothing and because he knew nothing she walked away. It was nothing to bother herself with any longer. As she walked away she made sure to tell herself that this didn't mean she hated him, she just very strongly disliked him, and that she still felt bad for him but she would not tolerate this anymore. She would not let his words ruin her party or her time with everyone so she put on her happy face and joined in on the pumpkin carving and soon she forgot about what he said. She had carved Clover in her pumpkin, smiling as she was done with it. The person who won that contest was in fact James. Sofia had to help Callista with hers since knives were too dangerous and though she did not win they gave her a little red ribbon as a "good try" prize.

She had made a big crooked smiling face but it looked silly not scary at all and it was hacked to bits but she had tried her best and had fun. She ran around with her pumpkin making believe she was the headless horseman. There was a corn maze outside and everyone was anxious to do it because there were spooky things in every corner, like a walk through outdoor haunted house. The brave gave it a try, even Amber went in, clinging tightly to Axel who was dressed like Tarzan. Sofia of course wanted to try it out, first being spooked by a large jack in the box with a clown head then some fake dangling spiders.

She was going in with Callista who was holding to her hand, trying not to be afraid of everything. Still she jumped here or there. Somehow some way she had gotten separated from her in one of the more winding pathways, Callista had gone chasing after something red and pretty she saw and Sofia had now lost her. She looked everywhere, hearing the girl call for her in panic, when she ran into Alexey who had also gone into the maze because he was dared to by Joy. Joy was not scared of anything, she was heard several times laughing at the surprises. It was foggy but she could see him enough and although she was not on the best terms with him, she went over to him.

"Have you seen Callista...she's the girl with the black and white hair?"

"No."

"Could you help me look for her, please?"

"...Why are you asking me?"

"Because you are here and I need someone to help me. Please please she must be so scared all by herself."

"She...means a lot to you for some random girl..."

"She's Cedric's niece, like family to me. So yes she does. Now will you help or not?"

"I guess so."

Sofia took that as a yes and headed down a direction, her wand illuminating the path. She called out Callista's name trying to use her ears to find where the voice was coming from. She was getting closer. Down another corridor where she was taken off guard by a manically laughing menace, one of the many tricks but it seemed so real it startled her and she leapt back. She felt Alexey holding onto her shoulders, stopping her from falling over.

"Oh thank you. That would have been a nasty fall into the thorny bushes over there."

"Sofia..." He spoke, looking at her and not letting her go. "I..."

She hoped he was going to apologize even if now wasn't the time so she stayed there patiently waiting. He was looking at her deeply then out of nowhere he spun her around then did something that made her stomach drop. His lips were smashed onto hers hard, so hard she almost couldn't breathe. She dropped her wand and started struggling in his tight grasp, trying to push him away from her. She was confused, amongst other things, at why he was even doing this. He seemed to have hated her this whole time, had nothing but disdain for everything and everyone and now he was kissing her! She did not enjoy it in the least especially because it was forced upon her. She tried to scream but it was muffled and what was worse she could still hear poor Callista calling for her.

She felt he would never let her go and it scared her to think what else he might do to her. She fought with all the power she had in her and then just when she felt that her struggles were in vain, she heard someone approaching. She hoped it would be someone who would understand, someone like Amber who would know better or James who already didn't like him much. Anyone else might think she had snuck off like a sneaky girl to go make out in the night. Yet as the figure got closer, she could see it was much too tall to be either of them. Perhaps it was her parents, perhaps it was a servant, perhaps anyone who would reprimand the prince for this or something. At the least it would stop him from doing this horrid thing to her.

The fog parted somewhat and she saw him. Her heart sank along with her gut. She had wanted anyone at that point anyone at all but she had not wanted him of all people to see this. Cedric stood there, covered by the fog only seen by her since Alexey was not looking. She prayed to everything he would not think anything wrong of her, that she was somehow double crossing him and their love, that she thought nothing of him. She hoped and prayed he would see that she did not want this at all. Yet it didn't matter he stood there, still as could be and for a moment Sofia thought she might have been seeing things, wishing things into reality and that he wasn't truly there until she heard him. He growled like a demon, deep and throaty. It made her shiver which ultimately was her saving grace for Alexey finally released some of his grip on her.

She wasted no time and sprinted to Cedric, seeking shelter in his arms or just near him, holding out her arms for him. Yet when she grabbed him, he immediately pulled her off, an action that made her distraught. It was so hard a push that her dress got caught in the thorn bushes causing her to let out a small shriek from being pricked. She tore her dress off of them, ripping it in the process but none of that mattered. He had pushed her and he did not care that she was hurt right now. She thought in a heart broken way that he must be livid but was directing his anger to her. She wanted to explain but how could she? She would reveal that she and he were a lot more than friends. She could not say anything, all she could do is stand there next to him, whimpering softly. She could hear his hard heavy breathing and saw him shaking, his fists tightly clenched. His teeth were grinding against each other so much they might turn into powder. Yet as much as he seethed, he did not make a move, instead he turned around and left, going towards where Callista's voice was and leaving Sofia there alone...with Alexey.

Sofia couldn't take this. Her love had spurned her, had left her here in the dark and cold, had not cared about her wounds or held her at all. She hugged herself, beside herself with grief. Alexey touched her shoulder and she smacked him off, outraged at him. She wanted to shout that this was all his fault in his face but she just ran off, away from everything and instead of going back inside to face the party looking the way she did she went to her safe place even if the occupant of it might not want to see her. She needed to be there it was where she felt the most calmed. She went through the back door and up the tower then crashed onto the sofa, making muffled sad sounds into the pillow. Minerva was asking her what was wrong but Sofia couldn't answer. The owl tried to comfort her as best she could, laying a wing over her. She laid there trying to get back her sense, trying to calm herself, find some semblance of sanity. Being surrounded by the things she loved and smelling him vaguely on the sofa did help her but not much. When the door opened, she felt fire and ice combined all over her from knowing exactly who it would be coming in. Their eyes locked together but the affection he had for her wasn't in his. He blinked at her in a cold, distant way.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was deeper, darker, it had a slightly cruel edge due to his anger.

"I came here because this is the place I feel safe in... the place I love most...because the person I love most is in it."

He scoffed, chuckling to himself but it was not a good sort of chuckle. He seemed to be reverting back to his evil days. "So you love me, is that it? Somehow, I find that hard to believe and do you know why, princess?" he questioned between gritted teeth, her nickname coming out like it was a hateful word, "because you are a no good, two timing, conniving liar. Now kindly vacate my premises. I don't want to see your face."

"...Cedric...how...how dare you!?" Sofia yelled out, jumping up from the sofa, stomping over to him, her eyes full of tears. "You...you haven't the faintest idea of what you just saw! Do you not trust me, do you think I'm so fake and that I, of all people, would hurt you like that after all we've done, after all we've been through? What kind of person do you think I am, that I would do something so vile to someone I love so much? How could you dare call me a...a liar!? I...I... I have to go, move let me out," Sofia cried, pushing him out of the way but he wasn't budging.

For someone so skinny he was a lot heavier than he looked. She didn't even look at him she just turned around and started hurrying her way towards the back door. Her words slashed through the anger he felt previously and the words he had used against her stabbed him at all points but all of that meant nothing in comparison to seeing her leave. He was shaken out of his rage blindness, the illusion of what he had seen and thought now broken entirely and in front of him the reality. The woman who he held so dear, who he loved more than anything, who he could not be without, was now leaving him.

"Sofia please don't leave me!" He pleaded, reaching for her and holding her hand. She tried to yank it away but he kept it firmly there. He started fervently kissing her hand and arms but she continued to yank it away. "Please I beg of you don't leave me. I'll die without you. Please god don't ever leave me. I'm so sorry...I have no words to express how sorry I am. My angel, my beautiful princess, my sweet, my evening star, my future wife."

"Let go of me, sorcerer."

"Don't say that...don't call me that. Say my name Sofia, please by god say my name. I love it when you say it, I love the way you say it, I love your voice so much."

"After what you called me I don't know if I can ever say your name again."

"Oh please," he begged, getting on his knees to her, keeping her hand on his lips and kissing it. "I know I don't deserve you and I cannot atone for what I have said but I was enraged...you don't know what seeing that did to me... I wanted to literally destroy him but I couldn't."

"So instead you took it out on me?!"

"I'm so sorry...please Sofia forgive me. I didn't mean it, you are my everything, it was madness that overtook me making me say such horrible things to you. I wish I could cut off my own tongue for it. I will if it would keep you here."

Sofia sighed and looked at him finally causing an apologetic miserable smile to appear on his face. She pulled him off the ground then looked at him, touching his face. He pressed her hand to his cheek, nuzzling into it and spreading kisses over her palm. She knew he was sorry, she could see it in his eyes, he regretted it very much, more than anything he had ever done. It was an awful thing he had called her, the worst thing she had ever been called and to be called it by him was the worst feeling ever but he was apologizing even now, every second. She had never seen him cry before, not really, and he was now. It was enough to tell her he meant it, he wished he hadn't said what he said. Sofia was a forgiving person by nature, especially with him, but those words, those wretched phrases reserved for only the lowest sort, tore her apart.

"Cedric, I love you with all my heart, but you have to understand how much you hurt me. If you left me entirely it would have hurt less than this. The fact that you think I would do that to you, me of all the people you know, confuses me and makes me feel like you have a deep secret mistrust of me. If you cannot trust your eyes and your heart...then I don't know how you expect for our relationship to-"

"Please don't say anymore. Please Sofia, don't cut off our love. Don't you understand that I am nothing without you?! I have always been nothing, a loathsome foul creature lurking in the shadows stealing my way to greatness never earning anything by right until you came along. Yet here I stand with you and I still do such wicked things. I deserve to hang for what I said to you or worse. Yet no pain inflicted upon me will feel like the pain I have when I look into your eyes. I have done something I cannot apologize enough for and no excuse will cover it. I do not deserve you and you deserve far better than me... I've told you this from the beginning I am still a bad wizard and apparently a bad man in general... you'd be better off with someone else..."

"Oh Cedric...I'm not going to leave you. You do deserve me and I want no one else but you, even now. Don't you say that you are bad. You never have been and you never will be, you just make mistakes because of the feelings inside of you that need to be talked about and problems that need to be worked on. So let's try to work on them...together," She explained, holding his hands in hers. "No more beating yourself up, no more getting angry, and trust me more, trust in what your heart tells you not just what you think at first glance. You should never doubt I am yours."

Cedric didn't respond with words but with action. He pulled her into an embrace as tightly as he could muster, kissing all over her hair, her forehead, wherever he could possibly reach. She calmed the dormant beast within him every time, that black spark within him that persisted deep inside but she was banishing it with her light, purifying him, and as always she was patient with him. She soothed him, comforted him, eased him entirely. His mind slowed down and so did his aching heart, putting the pieces together rationally for once. He saw clearly now, Sofia would never do anything to hurt anyone, not even her worst enemies. He had seen her help those who had once betrayed and hurt her before, make friends out of the worst villains, save them if they needed saving. His Sofia was the purest, most honest, most noble woman he had ever met.

How dare he think that even for a second she would turn around and change so drastically, lie to him, stab him in the back, betray their love and his trust? She would never. He wished he could continuously slap himself over and over until his face was red for this but it would do him no good and it would upset her. She did not like his self-loathing or him debasing himself. He hated his jealousy, it would ruin him, but right now he was not feeling it anymore, and promised to himself to try his very best to never feel it again. Though he couldn't say he felt entirely positive about all this. He had called her the most awful things, the worst she had ever heard by him, and if anyone else had called her that he would personally tear them asunder but he had done it again. Cedric the bungler had yet again broken Sofia's heart and yet here she stood, holding him, promising to stay with him, helping him instead of running away. It didn't seem fair but right now he wasn't questioning it. He needed this, he needed her.

"Sofia... he didn't...hurt you, did he?"

"No, not physically... I don't even know why he did that. He slapped a cookie out of my hand mere hours before."

"He sounds like a true prince," Cedric acerbically stated, rolling his eyes a little with a smile, trying to get her to laugh and it worked. "But you should know I'm going to have to cast a nasty spell on him."

"No, Cedric. You'll be sent to the dungeons for endangering visiting royalty and I don't want to have to visit you through select hours and iron bars. We should be civil, I'll talk to him."

"I don't want you near him...what if he does something again?"

"Cedric..."

"Okay okay...but if he does and I find out...that boy will be turned into the toad he truly is."

Sofia sighed heavily and shook her head at him. When she moved her leg a little she made a wince, the scratches from the thorns were now bleeding and Cedric noticed immediately. He kneeled down to them and frowned. He didn't need to ask when it happened or how, the event played in his mind. He had heard Sofia yelp and did nothing about it. Truly he was the worst for letting her get hurt in his presence more than once today. He revealed her skin there and touched gingerly with his hands cleaning up the wounds, kissing each one better receiving a light pleasurable noise from her.

"My poor little dear...are you in pain anywhere else?"

"No just there but you've made me feel better. You always know exactly what to do, my remarkable magician."

"After all I have done and you still think so highly of me...? Sometimes I think you might be a little loony."

She giggled. "Nope as far as I know I'm not crazy. It's just the facts, you are remarkable. You've apologized now so let's be done with it and not speak of it again, okay? Now before everyone starts actually going crazy looking for me I think I should go back to the party...oh wait! Callista!"

"Don't worry she's fine now, I found her. She was asking for you the whole time."

"Then let's both go to her," Sofia recommended, holding out her hand, "and enjoy the rest of this night without any further incident."

He nodded with a smile and followed her out, Minerva flying closely behind. She remembered the many fights Goodwin and Winifred had, worse than this one had ever been because for a while Winifred was still not yet entirely good. They fought on how to raise their children, they fought about names for their children, they fought over who should do what and how it should be done, but looking at them now, so content and at peace in their twilight years, you could not have guessed it. Couples fight and sometimes because of that they end up breaking apart, like Joy's did, but Sofia would make sure she and Cedric never would. Cedric had said they could not break their bond with the strongest weapon and he was right, especially since their bond was made of the strongest weapon in the world, one they wielded together; love.


	18. Chapter 18

[AN: This is a very loooong chapter. Hope you enjoy reading it all!]

Not another incident occurred that whole night and Sofia actively avoided Alexey and he seemed to be doing the same thing. For the next couple days that's how it remained, she might give him a cordial hello or good morning but paid him no other mind. She did want to ask him why but she also thought about what Cedric said and she was fearful of being forcibly kissed again. However, she intended to talk to him at some point she just needed to know when. Nothing about him changed, he was as glum as usual but talked a lot less which meant he had less chance of being rude. That seemed to go on just fine with James, who was now looking a lot more rested these days. Joy noticed nothing at all, she was having too much fun to notice anything. Sofia had taken her to meet Ruby and Jade and the girls all spent the whole day together playing village games and Sofia taught her how to loop a thread through a needle. With help they were able to make a present for her father's birthday that would be coming up.

One day, the day their parents were coming back to, as her father said finalize the papers, Sofia was walking down the hallways by herself, just having gotten back from a library mission. It was a short and easy one but whenever she returned from one of these things she had to be cautious, she didn't want too many people finding out about her library. She had been warned that if a book was stolen there was no way to find it or give that person a happy ending. Not that she thought anyone would ever steal anything but even just borrowing it could possibly endanger the story so she made sure not too many would know where it was. So far no one had noticed a thing and she thought she was alone in the hallway until she got surprised by a voice off to the side.

"So where did you run off to?"

She jumped a bit, startled because this hallway was usually always quiet and not too many ventured down here and then she saw who it was and that startled her too. It was Alexey, leaning up against a wall, staring her down intensely. She just gave him her best most sincere smile and curtsied to him.

"Oh hello, didn't see you there. Were you looking for me?"

"I followed you actually, we need to talk and don't even ask what about you already know."

"...Okay. That's fine with me. Should we sit down somewhere to talk?"

"No standing is fine. Let's just get out with it, you've been ignoring me since it happened. Yes or no."

"...Yes I have been and I do apologize if that hurt your feelings but I didn't understand anything that went on that night. I have been wanting to discuss it because I have a lot of questions like...why did you do that to me when you've been acting like I was beneath you? You had called me stupid and told me to leave you be and then you did that...? I was so confused and upset. Why, Alexey...? Why are you acting like this?"

"You really are stupid then if you don't get it. Don't you see or are you too blinded by your sweet little fairytale world to not notice how I feel? Can't you tell?" He demanded, trapping her against a wall suddenly, pinning her with his arms at both sides of her head. She shook with fear at what he might try to do to her again but she told herself she could handle it, this time she would be prepared and wouldn't let him get away with anything he had planned. She looked directly into his eyes, remaining brave in the face of adversary.

"When I first saw you I wanted you and every second after I wanted you. You are beautiful, Sofia, and you know it. You tease me, you give me these looks, you show me affection, and then you ignore me entirely. I thought you understood me, I felt you could finally be the one who could understand me. I was cruel to you because I didn't know what to do with my emotions, I have never felt this way about anyone at all but the colder I was the closer you got, as if you knew deep down how I felt and wanted me to just scream it out to you well here I am! I want you Sofia and I know you want me."

Sofia's eyes were wide hearing this confession. She shook her head no over and over again. "I'm sorry, I truly am, but you are terribly mistaken. I don't want you like that at all, I was only trying to be nice to you because you seemed so far away. I know it has been difficult with this separation between your family so I wanted to make you happy. That's all it was, I didn't mean to come off as anything more than supportive."

"But...you...it doesn't matter! You could learn to want me, to like me, to love me even. You are capable of that, I know it, I hear it constantly how you change people, see the best of them, can't you do that with me?"

"Alexey, somewhere in you is a great person, someone who obviously needs to be loved desperately and wants someone to listen to him, to vent to when things get rough and I'll gladly listen to your troubles and help if I can but you cannot ask me to feel for you like that when I can't. I just can't. You're a good looking young man and if you acted kinder, tried to be hospitable, honest, and a little more optimistic then I'm sure someone will come along who is just right for you but it isn't me."

"Why not? Why can't you love me or want me? I can change, I know I can. It won't be easy but that's why you will be there. I know we have a connection, I can feel it and I know you can feel it too. I knew from the moment our eyes locked you were the one."

Sofia felt him holding onto her shoulder, so tightly that his fingertips were making indents in her skin and it pained her. He had this wild look in his eyes, he was breathing fast and unevenly, and he looked as if he was going to kiss her again. She thrashed and writhed as hard as she can begging him to let her go but he refused and kept madly going on about how they were meant to be and how she knew it deep in herself that she too felt the same way about him that he did her.

He was not as scary as some things she had faced but he was frightening in a new and different way because he truly seemed to believe these things and seemed to be capable of doing anything to get to his crazed desires. Finally she broke free of him and hurriedly tried to get away, obviously talking things over with him was not going to work out. Actions needed to be taken and right now. She was not prepared to nor was she thinking of harming him in any way but if she had to do so to protect herself then she had no choice. This was her body, her life, her heart and no one was going to force her to give it over. He reached for her arm and yanked her by her wrist hard.

"Get back here right now! Sofia you will be mine whether you can see that now or not I don't care!"

"I will never be yours! I don't love you like that! My heart belongs to someone else!"

"Someone else...? Another prince? He's not for you, I can see that the only one for you is me. You are mine Sofia. Only mine!"

"I am not yours and will not ever be! Let go of me, right now...please!"

Sofia struggled harder than she ever had in her life and then she realized she had no choice but to do something drastic so she reached for her wand and got it out, pointing it at him, specifically his hand. She ushered out a spell, one that was not too harmful but would do the trick. Her spell zapped him just a smidge, enough pain to cause him to release her. When he did he looked at his hand, a tiny little red bump stood there, a small price to pay for trying to capture her. She had no other option, she wasn't the physically strongest princess in the world and despite his slender physique he was much stronger than her. He looked appalled at the mark even though it was tiny and would fade within a day, then he looked back up at her, fury ablaze in his eyes and some sense of betrayal as if she was the one who had done a terrible injustice to him and not vice versa. She had not lowered her wand, prepared to do it again if she must.

He moved closer to her, now enraged by her actions but she did not falter in her stance even as he lunged forward to try to grab her wand away from her. She zapped him again. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone but what else could she do? She tried to reason with him again, try to get through to him, but her gentle voice and calming nature was not going to work this time. He was not listening to her, he was calling her things because she had wounded him, saying she had wronged him and deserved to be punished for her actions, that she would love him whether she wanted to or not, that she would be his no matter the cost, even if he must make her. None of these words or phrases he used were anything like the Alexey she had previously seen or like anything she had ever known. She had heard other people, her foes, talk about objects like this, such as her amulet or a kingdom but not of a person.

"Please calm down, Alexey, please. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Let's just try to settle down and take a nice deep breath in and-"

"No more of your fake sweet words! I know exactly what you are trying to do and it won't work! You've angered me, Sofia, and you don't even care about it! You don't care about me at all, about how much you've hurt me, you are selfish! But you'll learn today that your actions have consequences!"

"What are you talking about? I'm only doing this to stop you from trying to hurt me! I don't want to do this to you! I do care about you and I want to help you but I can't do that if you keep trying to control me and cage me and tell me how to feel! If you act like that then I can't help but act like this."

"I'll only stop if you say you are mine, that you do want me and stop lying that you don't."

"I can't do that, it would be a lie if I said that not the other way around. I did not mean to mislead you in any way, I was only trying to make you happy."

"You know what will make me happy, Sofia? If you just give it up, stop fighting it and just come to me, stop this charade and I will not lay a finger on you, but if you don't then you leave me with only one option. You will obey me and you will be mine. I have to have you, I must have you."

"I am not some prize to be won!" Sofia shouted out, invoking one of the princesses that lay within her who had urged the words out of her mouth. She stood her ground, standing tall and proud, staring at him right into his soul, wand pointed at him. Her blue eyes were trying to pierce through him and show him she meant business, she would not relent herself so easily over to anyone. "You can't take something that isn't yours, you have to earn it, and if you expect to get anyone to like you, you have to treat them with common decency. You can't make someone like you and if they don't then you have to keep trying to make yourself a better person and move onto someone else."

"I like your mentality, as mushy and sappy as it is, but it's starting to get on my nerves now and so are you. If I see something I want, I get it, and I don't want much but when I do I always have it given over to me, no matter what it is or in this case who it is."

"And you called Joy a spoiled brat. To be honest, right now, you are the one who is acting like one, not her, she has never acted this way. You have no manners what so ever, I don't know how you can call yourself a prince."

He lunged again and though she was quick he was quicker, taking her wand away from her in an instance. Now he was the one in charge, he was the one with the power but Sofia made sure she did not look diminutive and easily dominated, she still stood tall. He did not know how to use that anyways, so she was not afraid of him casting a wicked spell on her. However it appeared he would not need it, he had something else in mind for her and he delivered it unto her. It seemed to happen so fast and yet time slowed. Sofia's parents never believed in corporal punishment and she had never been struck not even by those she faced against and so she was in utter shock when it had happened to her. Her cheek stung where he had slapped her and she sat on the ground, holding her cheek and trying to bite her tongue in order not to cry. She stared at the floor, focusing on each of the colored tiles trying to count the speckles upon each one, anything to get her mind off the sensation in her cheek and sharp sting but also the feeling of oncoming tears.

She did well in holding it all in and after the twentieth dot on the pale salmon colored floor she was able to look at him again and let him see he had not won, she was still here, not crying, bravely facing him, and not giving up anything but especially herself. Just as she was about to open her mouth she heard footsteps approaching and she turned towards them. It was his parents with her father, holding a document and looking over it, her mother was there too and she was the first to gasp. Everyone saw it, Sofia was sitting on the floor holding onto her face, her one cheek was a very aggressive red color and one could almost make out a hand shape. Towering there and holding what her parents knew was her wand, was Alexey, and they both knew she rarely let anyone hold her wand, it was precious to her. Even if she did it did not take a genius to realize what had happened but still her father went over towards them, stepping heavily and hurriedly and commanded in an authoritative voice,

"What's going on here?" He did not look the least bit pleased as Miranda helped Sofia up, looking at her face and brushing back her hair. She could see in her eyes that her daughter wanted to cry but was courageously not doing so and Miranda could also see the very distinct hand print there now more clearly. The hand print was a lot larger than Sofia's, so it was obvious she didn't do it. Miranda knew though, she knew what was done, and she was not happy about it. Sofia was a woman now but her mother held her in her arms protectively as if she was just a small child again in front of a big bad boogeyman.

"Yes I should like to know that too," King Magnus joined in, also looking angry, his voice a lot gruffer than usual and his arms crossed tightly. He looked mean that way and frightening, Sofia could easily imagine him as the type of father you don't want to get in trouble with. He prided himself on everything in his castle, in his land, being the very best so that must include his child and so he expected him to be on his best behavior. Perhaps Alexey was always like this and it did not look good for his kingdom, which would explain why he never accompanied him anywhere pr lived with him. He probably preferred Joy even if she wasn't his because she was sweet as pie and gracious too.

The only one who didn't look mad was his mother but the way she was looking was not happy, she had this icy flat appearance, stoic, a cold beauty with burning eyes staring directly at him and it was she not both the kings that was the one frightening Lord Alexey. Sofia knew that mothers always know everything and she didn't need to be told by her son what happened to be assured. She knew it and she was judging him with that cold stare. Sofia shuddered at it even if it was not directed at her and found herself unable to keep looking at the woman. Miranda stroked over Sofia's hair, over and over but Sofia didn't mind being coddled, right now she needed to be held after such abuse to her, and her mom was the perfect person for it. Sofia was not about to let Alexey lie or let him get away with this nor would she even allow him to answer first.

"He struck me in the face because I wouldn't be his. I tried talking to him, I tried to calm him down and convince him that I just couldn't be but he wouldn't listen. Yes, I had struck first but I used my wand only to defend myself though. I didn't want things to go this far... I never thought that trying to help would get me hurt..."

He looked at her cruelly for being honest, shooting darts at her with his eyes but they were shot down by his mother's own eyes. He lowered his angered gaze in an instance and looked anywhere but at her. She had not spoken a word since she saw the scene. His father was enraged to say the least but he also had a look of shame on his face. This was his son after all and for a man who wanted everything to be perfect to hear that his son, the heir to his throne, at least Sofia guessed so, had done something so heinous to a princess who he knew was nothing but kind and honest and had given her home to him, was disgraceful.

It was also unheard of, rarely ever did a man of such high nobility ever do such barbaric things to any person much less a princess, even more so because he had claimed to love her. It had been in Roland's great great great grandfather's time where men treated women with disrespect without consequence and it was his great grandfather who changed the rules and put in a law about such matters. Roland didn't always play by the rules exactly, he was the king now he could change them, but this rule would stand firm especially because it was his own daughter, Sofia who would never do any wrong, that had gotten injured while defenseless.

"I have no words for this! This is an outrage! This is heresy! This is treason to not only my crown but to the crown of Enchancia as well! What were you thinking, son?! How could you stoop so low as to hit a woman and not just any woman but her! And what's all this nonsense about you wanting to make her yours?! If you wanted her, you have to ask and she has to agree but if she doesn't you don't resort to forceful behavior! What kind of prince are you, what kind of man are you? You...you are no son of mine."

"Well then nothing has changed, has it, father? You've never treated me like your son, in fact this is the first time I've seen you in years, you don't visit and you don't care about me at all. It's all about you and Joy, even though she's not even your child, I am. Yet here I stand being treated like a total stranger! How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Be that as it may Alexey," Queen Bliss chimed in, moving forward which made him slink back and immediately stop fuming, "That is no reason to do what you have done today. We understand you have residual anger because of all the things that have been going on with us at home and that sometimes your father is not always there but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. However, if you wanted him more acting like this has done nothing but push him away further. If you are acting like this out of anger towards us then you should talk with us, not harm another being, and you cannot take what is not yours nor is given to you. If Lady Sofia says she does not want to be yours then drop it and just agree to be friends, you'd have a much better chance at her if you acted like your title, showed her some respect. Apologize to her, now."

"She's the one who should apologize for leading me on like this! She kissed me on Hallows Eve and now she acts like she doesn't even want me!"

"Why do you lie when you are already in so much trouble? You forced that kiss on me when I clearly did not want it, I struggled to get you off of me, I was pushing you off and you still held me there. In case nobody believes me I do have an eye witness."

"We believe you Sofia," Miranda sincerely complied still caressing her hair.

"If you won't even apologize to her, you do not deserve the crown you wear, no noble man treats anyone like this," His mother stated firmly. "You have desecrated everything we have worked so hard for, shamed your kingdom and family and yourself. Since you are on Enchancian soil you have to play by their rules and I know the law here for such a crime. Imprisonment."

"Prison?! You would send your own flesh and blood to prison? You say you love me yet you treat me this way?!"

"Why not, Alexey? You have done the same to Lady Sofia, you said you wanted her and you treated her unfairly when she rejected you. Your punishment matches your crime."

"Your ladyship wait," Sofia interrupted, releasing herself from the warmth of her mother's arms. Her cheek still burned but it was lessening by the minute. Now she had been listening intently to all of this surrounded by a group full of anger, dismay, and hurt across the board and yet despite her own feelings she was still Sofia. She touched the queen on the arm and looked at her beseechingly.

"It is true he hit me, and it is true it isn't right, and it is also true that he has not acted like his station demands but imprisonment is a bit too far. I understand now... Alexey didn't want me, not specifically me, as pretty as I'm sure he thinks I am it's what I could have given him, something he feels he didn't have. I know now that he just wants to be loved, he wants attention, he wants someone to care about him. He's grown up with a broken family and a father who isn't there for him, and he see's his younger sister who gets all the affection. I know how that is... to have someone live in a life where they feel rejected at every turn and have to resort to acting like this because there seems to be no other way out. When he saw me, saw how sympathetic I was, he felt that all his pain could go away and when the only hope he had at happiness was dashed he went crazy. Though he claims I live in a fantasy it was him that lived in one, a fantasy where he assured himself that I MUST love him because nobody else would."

Everyone stood and listened to what Sofia was saying. She was always a good judge of character and could sense when someone was truly wrong or not but now she had a matter of not what was right or wrong at face value but something much deeper than that. This was almost exactly like Cedric in a way that's what she meant by she knew how it was, she didn't live through this sort of misery but she knew someone who did. In a matter of seconds she was able to gather his character and assess his true darkness, the truth that was inside of him. He stood stunned at her accurate assessment of him, and now he stood there the one who was crying after all this ordeal, not her.

It was all true, all of it, she saw it, she heard it, now she knew for sure she was right. He was just so broken and hid it until his cracks finally showed, nobody had paid him any attention so he gave nothing else his attention, if no one cared about him why care about anything. He felt hopeless and when hope came in the form of Sofia he tried to take it and when that hope could not be his he finally broke entirely. It had only been a matter of time before that bomb went off and now that it had exploded Sofia did not actually feel pain from his strike but a pain inside of her from understanding why he did it, the real reason. Queen Bliss and King Magnus exchanged a long look then they looked at Roland who sighed deeply and looked at Sofia who was there, despite all the facts, standing up for him.

"Sofia...are you sure about all of this...? Even after what he did to you?"

Sofia nodded. "He doesn't deserve to go to jail because of this, he just needs help from his family, he needs their support and love, he needs to be listened to and appreciated. Right now what he needs isn't me he needs the both of you."

King Magnus had not exactly relented his anger, he was still standing with his arms crossed and brows furrowed but when Queen Bliss looked at him again, in a gentle soft sort of way he uncrossed his arms slowly and his eyes softened. "Perhaps...we haven't been paying him enough attention...with things being the way they were it's hard to give it to him all our time but we should make a better attempt."

"Yes... I suppose so and maybe I should be there more to teach him how to be a man, a true king, then maybe if I did this wouldn't have happened. Ultimately though, it's not my decision to make, this is King Roland's land and this is his daughter, he has to make the call. What do you think should be done?"

"Well...in light of what I've been told I don't know if this punishment is just. However I still think a proper apology is in order."

All eyes were on the young lord who was there in the middle of it all, drying his eyes. His eyes were on Sofia's who was looking at him without malice or distrust or judging him, she was being patient and respectful, as he had not been with her at all. He lowered his eyes in shame at her gentle nature, that same nature that was sparing him despite what he had just done and said. All the things he said were now playing in his mind and now that he had calmed he flinched at each one and especially replaying that moment where he hit her. He had misjudged her in a way, she was exceedingly perceptive and he was the one living in a fairy tale, he was the one choosing not to face reality, he was the stupid one. He rubbed his shoulder not wanting to look at her and meet those eyes again but he did. He wanted her to hate him, to be mad at him, to not forgive him like everyone else had in his life but she was not like that at all. She felt his sorrow and as he had thought she understood him and now she had showed everyone else his soft interior that he had been hiding so now everyone understood him.

"Forgive me, Lady Sofia...I acted out of order and I shouldn't have. I should have thought about what I was doing and saying, I should have thought about you. You aren't selfish at all, I am..."

"Is it selfish to want love, Alexey? I don't think so, I don't think so at all. It wasn't at all right what you did, make no mistake, but you shouldn't be condemned for it. All is forgiven."

It was an emotional moment when Queen Bliss went over and hugged him, joined soon after by his father. Sofia and her family left them alone, they had a lot to talk about. Sofia now was sitting near the kitchen with an ice pack on her cheek and thinking about what had just transpired. Her father did inevitably explain to her why it is they were here, it was to actually make their separation official, they had been in a sort of limbo for years now. Sofia was upset hearing this that they could not at all work it out especially because Queen Bliss already went through a separation with Lady Joy's actual father.

There was no animosity between them but they just figured that even after two children in their life it was not going to happen, they couldn't be together anymore. Regardless they still loved their children but sadly one of them just wasn't feeling that love as much as the other and maybe even sometimes Joy felt that way too but dealt with it better. Sofia thought of what it was that drove them apart, was it because of how different they were or was it because of arguments? Was it something she could not understand yet? She got to thinking about her own love and the little fight they had.

She didn't like calling it a fight but she supposed that's what it was. It was awful what he all said to her but he was apologetic, even kneeling before her, begging and crying. She couldn't just walk away from him, she couldn't. She forgave him because she loved him and they would make sure to try to fix his jealous anger. That's how it was, they worked it out because their love was strong and eternal. Perhaps one day King Magnus will find someone who had a better bond with him or maybe just maybe he will realize Queen Bliss was his exact match all along. As she was thinking her favorite sorcerer was crossing her path and almost didn't notice her, whistling to himself and had his thinking face on. She called to him to get his attention but then realized as he turned to her she should have just let him go because now he was going to see her with the ice and start asking questions and she was not capable of lying. He did see it alright and when he approached her he looked at it with a sad expression.

"What happened, love? Toothache? I have a remedy for that if you want."

"It's...not a toothache..."

"Did you fall down or something? Have a bruise?"

"No...it's not that either..."

"Then what's wrong with your cheek, dearest? Please tell me so I can make it all better. I can assure you I have a million things in my stores that would fix you up better than silly ice."

"It's...nothing to worry about, I'll be fine," Sofia stated, smiling at him. "So anyways what are you up to today?"

He squinted his eyes at her, looking at her hand holding the ice pack then straight at her. "Sofia...you're changing the topic so I don't pry anymore. What exactly are you hiding from me?"

She bit her lip nervously and looked away from him. "If I tell you then you'll be cross and there's no point because everything is dealt with."

"Tell me anyways, I need to know. We're supposed to be honest with each other, right?"

His tone was alarmingly calm but within it was the agitation and doubt she knew he would have. "I'll only tell you if you promise not to get mad."

"Hmm...I don't like where this is going, Sofia, and I'm already drawing conclusions. If I was to ask, did someone hit you, would I be right?"

She winced a little as she slowly nodded yes. There it happened right before her eyes, a rippled ran across him and a flicker of anger went into his eyes. "Who hurt you?"

"Cedric I can't tell you, you'll just get mad."

"I'm already mad, Sofia, I'm just keeping it under control, as you have suggested. So tell me, who hurt you. It wasn't Amber was it?"

"What? No no! Amber would never! I know she can seem a little...well...you know but she's a good person and she means well. Amber would only hurt someone if they hurt me."

"Well then at last we have something in common," Cedric responded quickly with a smirk. "I know it wasn't Amber, actually, she's all bark, and James wouldn't he's too chivalrous. Obviously not your parents or your friend...So then...that leaves..." He paused and his pupils got smaller. He was now starting to shake and suddenly his voice got raspy. "I'll kill him."

"Cedric don't!" Sofia shouted, getting up off her stool as he started to leave, turning around hurriedly. She grasped his robe hem and tried to stop him. "Stop Cedric, please!"

"Where the hell is he?! I'm going to do a lot more than hex him when I find out where he is!"

"Cedric I told you he's been dealt with already, there's no need for more violence. Please listen to me, remember what we discussed about not letting your anger get the better of you?"

"Yes well that was then and this is now. He laid his hands on you and that is unforgivable!"

She took his face in her hands and made him look at her. She was looking at him seriously but no less lovingly. She stroked over his cheeks gingerly still looking at him then caressed his white fringe with nothing but love in every stroke. He melted to her touch entirely. She pet him softly, slowly, never breaking eye contact and cooing sweet things to him.

"Cedric, my incredible, amazing, wonderful love."

"Oh you stop that," He whispered with a light blush then received a very surprising kiss on the lips. He was at her disposal now, entirely bended to her will. When she broke from him he gave her a mischievous look. "Now pet I thought we had agreed no kissing unless it's in private."

"This was an exception besides...you needed it...and I needed it too."

"Oh is that a fact? And if I need more than just one?"

"Not here, you were only given one special kiss for today. Now promise me you'll let it be. I told you it's resolved."

"Hm. And how might I ask was it resolved? He had better be on his way to the guillotine right now."

"Cedric!" Sofia gasped making him chuckle. She shook her head at him and gave him an incredulous look but retained a small smile. He was always such a trickster. "For your information he's being sent home right now to be with his family. All he needed was to be loved because everyone wasn't giving him attention, the recognition he deserved. He latched onto me because he thought I could help. Sound familiar?"

"Hmph. Nope don't know anyone like that atall," He responded, turning from her. "And I didn't latch onto you, you make me sound so desperate."

"I never said you did," Sofia smartly replied back with a bit of sass. He turned back to her with a raised eyebrow.

"You really are a cheeky devil. I'd teach you a lesson if we were alone but we aren't so you'll just have to use your imagination and luckily for you, I suppose, you do have a vivid one."

She chuckled and held onto his arm, swinging back and forth without moving her legs. Her enchantlet started flashing and she told him to wait a moment while she answered a message from the protectors. After receiving their call she headed back to him.

"Hey how would you like to come with me to the Mystic Isles today to help with my protector duties? It would be a big help and we could spend more time together."

He squeaked in spite of himself, obviously enthusiastic about going somewhere like that. She had taken him scant amount of times but never on a mission with her, just for a little visit and every time he was fascinated. He brandished his wand with gusto, a big beam on his face.

"Count me in!"

She smiled right on back with him, just as excited to have him on her team today. She got changed into her protector garb and met back up with him, he was waiting by the stables, elation and excitement all over him. She looked at Minimus and thought about Skye, both were too small to carry Cedric she thought so she'd have to take a flying coach or something though she had never gone about it that way. If Minimus was a properly sized horse then it was possible, perhaps Cedric could just use another horse...if that is, he knew how to fly them.

"I know what you're thinking, Sofia, and I'm not riding on your purple pony."

Minimus whinnied in a huffy way at the remark. "He's not a pony, Cedric, he's just a miniature horse and I wasn't going to ask you to. Do you even know how to fly on a horse?"

"Never took the time to learn, we had dragon races at Hexley Hall."

"Whoa...that sounds really intense...and fun! No wonder you were so good at riding them! If only Crackle was big enough..."

"No need to bother your fiery fiends...I mean friends. How hard is it to ride on a horse anyways? I'll just borrow one from the stables and we'll be on our way."

"Okay if you say so."

Cedric went into the stables and came back out with a horse perfectly suited for him, a dark colored horse with no wings but he added some onto it then climbed aboard. He got on it just fine but when it came to lift off the horse did not know how to use the new wings given to it so Minimus and Sofia helped and soon they were off into the clouds together. She had not ridden alongside him in a long time not since the time mentioned before when she rode away with Everburn's dragons towards her castle to stop Princess Ivy. She had not taken notice then how easy it was for Cedric even in his confused state. He seemed to be taking to horse flying well enough. They kept up conversation the whole way there and then landed softly on one of the many isles. Sofia gave both the horses some sugar cubes and pet them, telling them they did a good job, then gave the horses kisses on their muzzles.

"Yes you did a wonderful job, you flew very smoothly for your first time, Dusk."

Cedric cleared his throat behind her. "And did I do a good job too, dear?"

She turned to him with a smile and placed her finger on his nose. "Yes, you also did a wonderful job. I'm proud of you."

"It was nothing really, I'm a natural in the air," He pridefully boasted, looking at his nails nonchalantly. "Still...since the horses got kisses..."

"Now you're jealous of my pets too?"

He shrugged. "Possibly."

She reached up and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Alright there you go. Now we have a mission to do, so let's do it."

"I'll follow you anywhere, my sweet. Where exactly are we off to?"

"It's right over here," She said, pointing out in the distance, "there's a disturbance that's causing all the beautiful flowers and grass to die and we have to discover what's doing it and stop it."

"Alright, onward and upward then."

Sofia nodded and walked side by side with him, looking for clues. They could see everywhere there were little bits of destruction and it seemed to be creating a path of dead flowers and rotting trees. They followed the path and then heard some singing. The two stopped in their tracks and saw a figure of what looked like an innocent young child wearing all black with no shoes walking around. He had jet black hair and was pale as a ghost. Yet they could also see that everywhere his feet and hands touched things were dying all around him. He tried to pluck a lovely flower and it wilted right in his hand and Sofia noticed how sad he looked about it. Carefully she approached him, not knowing what he could do to her and from a safe distance she called out to him. He jumped and turned around, looking at her shyly. He looked about five, very small, he was cute as a button but his eyes were just as black as his clothes. Despite that he did not seem like he had any ill intent, even without pupils she saw nothing but sweetness in his eyes.

"H...hello...who are you...?"

"My name is Sofia, princess of Enchancia and protector of the Ever Realm. This is Cedric the Sensational, he's my royal magician."

The little boy waved shy as could be at both of them. "I'm Darcio. I've never had anyone talk to me before... people don't seem to like me."

"Three guesses why," Cedric sarcastically stated under his breath. Sofia nudged him hard.

"It might have something to do with your unusual abilities. Wherever you go things just seem to die. Were you cursed or born like this?"

"Born, mommy tells me not to go outside but it's so pretty out here. I don't like staying in the dark caves all the time. I understand though, she knows that no matter what I do I'll just destroy anything I touch."

Sofia thought for a while then snapped her fingers and reached into her dress pocket and pulled out some gloves that she had forgotten were there until now. She handed them to him and asked that he carefully take them and try them on. They were a little big on him and brightly colored against his black clothes but he seemed to like them. He tried picking another flower again and this time it did not wither away. He looked at it with amazement and awe, his little face lighting up.

"There now, you see, it's all fine. Now you just have to keep yourself covered and nothing bad will happen anymore."

"So I won't have to leave forever?"

"No of course not! Who said you'd have to leave?"

"Nobody I guess I just thought people didn't want me around because I can do this."

"Do you know why you can do this?"

"No. Mommy can do it too."

"Can we meet your mother?"

"Sure! Follow me!"

Sofia stood behind him and walked along his well-trodden dirt path with Cedric at her side. He bent to her level and whispered to her. "Do you think it wise to trust him?"

"He doesn't mean to do this, he can't help it. It's just a special talent he has that he can't control yet or maybe at all. I knew someone who turned everything she touched to ice and I was never scared of her."

"I'll trust you, you have never been wrong thus far."

"Thank you."

"For what, sweetheart?"

"For trusting me, it means a lot to me that you do."

He smiled and laced his hand with hers. They entered a dark cave with barely any spec of light to be found. Cedric's wand activated and now Sofia could see there was a woman sitting on the cave floor staring up at them.

"Who are they? I've told you never to bring outsiders in here, Darcio."

"But momma, they are nice. Look," He showed off his perfect flower still held tightly between his gloved hands. "See? That girl gave me these things and now everything is fine."

The woman, who had black hair and black eyes too, looked at the gloves as if she had never seen such things before then smiled over at Sofia. "Why did you do this for him? Everyone else I know usually hates us."

"There's no reason to hate you for something you have no control over. I can tell you don't mean for this but do you have any idea why?"

"Yes, Gaia is the goddess of life but life does not continue so she made us but there was never a place for us amongst the isles so we hid. Nobody understood what we were nor tried to help us in any way so here we have been. When my son was born I wanted him to stay hidden, away from the wicked world who would throw things at him and call him names for what he did. It's just our nature, it's something that must happen. When Gaia walks life springs forth but when we walk death happens, it's a cycle but nobody likes that last part so we are shunned. You didn't shun him though, you cared for him and made him so happy. Thank you, you are the nicest human I have ever met."

"You're welcome, um...what is your name?"

"My name is Freya."

"Well then Freya, I'm Sofia and this is Cedric and we will gladly bring this up to the protectors. I just know they will find a solution that will suit your family. Don't worry, I'll make sure nobody kicks you off the isles, princesses promise."

"And trust me she never breaks it."

"Then you have my trust and my respect, princess. Thank you for bringing a smile to my son's face, it's been long since I've seen it."

"Anything to help."

When she reported back to the protectors and carefully explained everything it appeared they had no idea what it was and that it was even a person doing this much less two people. They understood and decided they would take better care of the two and give them proper clothing and shelter so that they would no longer live the way they were. Chrysta had just flown in from a mission and upon hearing Sofia's voice she went right over and said hello.

"Is that Cedric back there?"

"Mhm."

"Hi Cedric! Nice to see you again! You better be taking good care of her!"

"He is don't worry, we take care of each other."

She smiled back at him. He was thinking about what had happened today and lost in his mind he wasn't paying attention to what was said but he smiled when she smiled. Sofia did not take a second glance at the boy, she had trusted him instantly even though he was literally killing whatever he touched. Sofia always gave people a chance and she always gave them the benefit of the doubt. She was the one person everyone could trust because she trusted everyone and that is why she had so many friends of all different types. He admired her more than he could say aloud, Sofia was the bravest person he knew and the most truthful and righteous. Watching her work, watching her help people without even thinking about it, and fixing the problem made him want to do the same thing. So he set about fixing the grass that had been trampled and now she was watching him, admiring him, spellbound by his magic.

"Wow... it's like it never happened!"

"This is nothing, behold!"

He waved his wand at an area producing a purple and white tipped tulip then plucked it and held it before her. "Milady."

"Oh it's beautiful! Thank you."

"You're welcome. Well I gave you my tulip so can I have your tulips?"

She blushed vibrantly and laughed at his joke. She was still giggling even as she kissed him. The two stayed there for a while, sitting with each other and basking in the majesty of the isles. Unicorns and fairies flew in the pink and purple painted clouds, magical beings of all kinds hopped around on the islands, crystals sparkled, and the air had this clean, sweet smell that was hard to describe. Almost like the first real breath of air.

"You know...I wouldn't mind having a boy," Sofia remarked, mostly to herself, staring at the flower given to her and smelling it. She closed her eyes and smiled.

Cedric's eyes widened and he turned his head to her, viewing her peaceful expression. "A...boy what exactly?"

"A boy child, silly. You know one day...when we...have one..."

She was blushing pink right across her nose, twirling the tulip between her fingers and gazing at him full of affection. He swallowed thickly and blushed right back but there was a certain glow in his eyes, a warmth that made her smile. He cupped her hands with his and brought them to his mouth, kissing them. Cedric took the flower and placed it in her hair, caressing the side of her cheek as he did, the red mark was fading but he tried not to focus on that lest he become angered. He focused instead on her face, her eyes overflowing with love, her little satin lips smiling at him, the beautiful copper color of her hair and imagined her features on a child, mixed with his own. He had never thought of having children because he had just given up to the fact that he'd be alone for the rest of his life and that was that.

Now he was here with this woman so beautiful that the scenery around her was boring in comparison, imagining a future that could become real. It felt like it could truly happen. No barriers stood in his way as he imagined her wrapped in pure ivory gliding down a covered walkway towards him, awaiting her under an arch with the blossoms falling gently onto her hair. He imagined awaking in his tower everyday and no longer being alone anymore but having her by his side every morning, cuddled up in a blanket just watching the sunrise or drinking hot tea by the fire at night. He imagined her rounding stomach full of future life and bringing that bundle of joy home and watching her rock it to sleep, singing to it in that lilting voice of hers. He sighed joyfully, his heart was light. He truly couldn't believe his luck.

He was born into this home where by his father he felt he was not living up to expectations, his sister and he bickered constantly, bullied by his classmates, loathed by society, and treated like the bane of the entire wizarding world. Friends? All his had was Wormwood, no human, no wizard, no one at all besides his mother seemed to truly like him. Dates? He had scarcely heard of the word, rare flings that lasted a week if he was lucky but nothing serious. Even in his yearbook he was voted most likely to fail, it was awful living in that mess and even as a royal sorcerer he had nothing to look forward to besides entertaining the children. Then she came along and changed everything. She melted his cold exterior and broke apart the wall he had built to protect himself from getting hurt with just one hug. Every time she left him he felt a hole in his heart, from day one even and when she called him her friend that's when it all shifted. As much as he schemed as much as he plotted as much as he planned he could not answer what he would do about her because he knew when it came down to it he could not hurt her.

Not physically or emotionally, it would be like taking a chunk out of his own soul if he so much as flicked her. Wormwood and his parents were the only voices he talked to giving him advice on what he should do about Sofia and his feelings with her. Even though his mother acted like she was just as nasty as he was she was only doing what she thought was what her son wanted because she wanted him to be happy. She was a sweet lady, a bit stubborn at times but so was her husband and they both adored Sofia and they both could agree, even his mom who sometimes spurred him on in his wicked goal, that he really shouldn't be doing this. After his failed attempt at using the amulet his mother had pulled him aside and talked to him about the fact that she did not enjoy doing this to Sofia and she could tell he didn't either after she hugged him. However Wormwood was not at all backing down and would constantly squawk in disagreement whenever it came to the girl and his decisions on not tricking her.

He knew it, he had gone soft, he had let her wiggle her way into his heart and reveal that he was not actually bad after all and he was glad he came to terms with that. He should have known from day one it would have ended this way and thinking back it did make all the sense in the world. He had lost Wormwood, yes but he'd do it all again if it meant having her. Plus he got a replacement and Minerva was far superior. Fate had been saving Sofia just for him and all the things that had happened, for better or worse, had brought them together. The two collided in that hallway, destiny had forced them together, and here they were, years later, promising their hearts to the other.

"I love you, Sofia. I'm going to put a ring on that little finger of yours, just you wait and see."

"I think first and foremost you have to get my father's blessing."

"Right..." He groaned, leaning back. "and just as I got into his good graces. That man will have my head if he knew what we've been doing, you know."

"You act like my dad is some sort of barbarian. All you have to do is ask him a simple question."

"You make it sound so easy... but father always said marriage is no easy task. I know that I want to be with you, no matter what it takes and if I have to face your father I will. For you... I'd do anything."

"Cedric... that's so...romantic. We can face him together."

"No my love... I need to do this myself, I can't always rely on you to be there to keep my head from going under water. I'm going to tell him how I feel and if he says no...well I just won't take no for an answer."

Sofia leaned her head on his shoulder. "I used to think about what my future husband would be like and I wanted him to be someone honest, strong, protective, loyal, loving, and full of spirit. You're all I could ever wish for and more. Honestly I... I've always had the biggest crush on you. My mother was asking me when I was still getting used to the castle how it was so far and at some point I just said, 'Isn't Mr. Cedric so handsome?'"

Cedric couldn't help but laugh out loud at that, picturing it perfectly in his head. The little eight year old girl, fresh out of her village into this new life, and he had been so rude to her on that first meeting. Actually he was so livid that he just made himself disappear and even then, having just met him, she was already shooting to be his number one fan despite him shoving her off. Since she was so humble and forthcoming he felt even then he could tell her anything and she wouldn't care, she would listen. He had seen the honey glow on her face and the sparkle in her eyes, her voice had risen an octave just saying his name. He really should not have been shocked when he realized that she was in love with him, she had always been so it was just taking on full form.

"It's kind of cute in a weird sort of way. I mean, you had just met me and I was a grumpy old man yet you were smitten."

"Well you were very charming, you still are."

"I was standoffish at best, to be fair I wanted nothing to do with you. I didn't dislike you but I did not care much for children. Unfortunate as this truth is, I don't think I would have paid you much mind if you didn't have the amulet."

"I know... but that's just another reason it's so precious to me, because it brought you to me."

"And I'm so very glad it did. I had wanted the amulet for so long, I was convinced it would bring me fame, posterity, the love I had been craving, power, and so on but it turned out it was you. You gave me all of it. It's funny the amulet always sits on your chest right over your heart and it turns out to be that's exactly what I wanted. Your heart is my amulet, so in the end I guess I did end up stealing it."

Sofia lightly laughed at him but was cut off by his lips finding hers. When they parted they both just looked into each other's eyes for the longest time.

"We should head back."

"Do we really have to? It's so nice out here and I'm free to kiss you to my heart's content with no one watching, like this."

Cedric grabbed her face and kissed her over and over again in short rapid succession but it turned slower and slower as he laid her down in the field of flowers. He may not have been good with words but he was somehow very convincing and the two stayed there for most of the day and well into the lateness of the evening. When they returned the sun had gone almost all the way down painting the castle in sunset colors. Sofia put Minimus and a now wingless Dusk back into the stables, giving them each one more pet and a goodbye hug before walking back into her home. She stretched and yawned, today had been an eventful day and she needed a good rest. She felt Cedric stroke her back and then saw him jerk his head towards his tower, imploring her to go with him. Too tired to argue or say anything about it she followed him upwards. As she laid herself down to rest in his bed he couldn't help but gaze at her before heading downstairs to get some work done.

He put his finger to his lips to tell Minerva to keep it down and she nodded as best she could before hopping onto his shoulder. All was quiet and at peace as the rest of the household was also settling down for the night to come. The guests had left leaving the royal Enchancian family alone with King Roland taking some much needed down time after all the debacle today to be with his wife. The only real noise being heard was James fencing with a dummy outdoors so everything was very much silent until Amber burst into the chamber her parents were in. She let out a high happy cry, waving something around in her hand and talking incoherently. Miranda had to put her arms on her shoulders to calm her down. She smoothed out her dress and hair before showing them the card in her hand decorated by silver and blue foiled snowflakes and swirls, signed and stamped by the royal mark of Freezenburg.

"She's in so much trouble but ahhh I'm so happy I can't believe it! I mean I knew it was getting serious but wow! Holy cow! I can't believe it!"

"Wow what Amber? Is this a party invitation?"

"Yes daddy! And do you know what kind of party this is? Do you? I bet you won't guess not in a million years! Oh I'm so jealous I can't believe she is first! I thought I would be but I guess not! Well I'll just have to talk to Axel about all this. But oh my god! Can you believe it? An engagement party! Couldn't you just die?"

"You mean...your friend Hildegard is getting...married? Already? But she's no older than you," Roland surprisingly stated, taken aback by the information.

"I know! Isn't it amazing?! Ugh I wish it was me instead though. She's going to rub it in all of our faces, I just know it. That's so like her too to not let us know until the last moment."

"I for one am glad it's not you yet, Amber, I still think there's a lot for you to figure out before you settle down. You aren't even a fully-fledged queen yet."

"Ugh daddy, I'm going to be seventeen in no time and when I'm eighteen I'll be crowned as second queen in command. Besides, there's nothing more that I want than to have a family and stay here, ruling my country with a fair but firm hand. Sofia will be my council and James will be my lead knight. It's everything I have ever dreamed of. I have thought about my wedding day since I was little and now I have to watch my friends get married before me. I'm happy for her, of course, but I also want to be her right now...well not really I don't want to be with Zandar."

"Amber, sweetie, I understand that's a big dream of yours but your father is right. You still have a lot of time ahead of you. Think it through. However, I got married young, we both did, and it is your choice, honey. If Axel wants to propose I don't object to it. He's a good man."

"The best man! Oh after this he owes me the biggest shiniest diamond, no topaz, no amber, of course, ring in the whole world! I can't believe it. It's crazy...we were playing dolls not that long ago and now we have thrones to sit on and husbands to attend to. I'll be mad as a hornet if James gets married before me though! First born, first wed!"

Roland and Miranda looked at each other and she sort of shrugged it off. Amber had a very conventional mind in some regard, born and raised the pure princess way with all the glitz and glam of her world. It was hard for Roland to think about his children not being children anymore but day after day he saw them both, James becoming a strapping young man and Amber blossoming to look just like her mother. Sofia too, was no longer the small bird just sitting in her nest, she was always flying off somewhere and looking prettier than a rosebud. All three of them were never going to leave him but they were growing up fast. It didn't seem so long ago that he held her and changed her and fed her from her golden encrusted bottle. Where had all the time gone?

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear her rambling on about the party and how exciting it all was or deciding what to wear. In front of him he saw a woman but behind that all the memories of her youth came flooding back to him and it made him sort of somber in a way knowing she wouldn't just be his little princess, she'd be someone elses too. He liked Axel a lot, he came from a prestigious family after all. He would take care of her well, provide for her, and best of all he made her happy. They were a good pair. That didn't mean he was exactly ready to let go of her yet. It seemed easier with James and Zoe seemed the noncommittal type so who knew if he would ever marry her or if they would stay going strong. At least, he thought, he had Sofia who had not even wanted suitors at all yet.

Miranda knew otherwise and was just waiting to see what would happen once all was revealed. Her daughter and husband were both so busy it left little time to confess what was going on but when it happened she could guarantee Roland would be floored. She just hoped he wouldn't do anything to Cedric. The only wrong thing he did in pursuing Sofia was not trying to ask to court her first and he was not alone in that. Amber kept going on and on about it and then suddenly she was out of sight, a blur of skirts and hair, still ranting away. She'd make a good queen, he knew that, but he wasn't so sure he was ready for her to be a full queen yet. What choice did he have but to watch from the sidelines as all of them became adults?

Miranda pat his hand, trying to comfort him. She too had a hard time letting go but she was proud of all of them and overjoyed that all three had someone to love in their life. As the two thought about the bygone youth of their growing children Amber was going around telling everyone about the party. She was most excited to tell Sofia since Hildegard was in some respect her friend too but she couldn't find her sister. Amber knew just exactly where she might be if not in her room and she ran up the stairs, huffing and puffing. She didn't even knock at all and just barged right in, banging the front door loudly against the wall which startled Cedric who was dozing off at his desk. She ran up to him and greeted him quickly.

"Cedric have you seen Sofia?"

"Uhh..." He wasn't sure how to answer her. Should he be honest or should he lie? Sofia didn't like him lying at all but he had no qualms about it. However he didn't need to answer, Sofia made herself known walking down his bedroom stairs, yawning.

"I'm here Amber. What's wrong?"

"You mean you were...in his bed?!" Amber yelped out in shock, holding her hands to her cheeks. Sofia nodded sleepily, seemingly unaware of how this all looked or sounded. Meanwhile Cedric was as pale as a codfish. Amber was capable of putting it all together and didn't need to really ask if anything more had happened. She blushed at the idea. It was hard to imagine that her sister of all people would do something like what she was imagining she might have been doing. "Oh my...how scandalous."

"Amber I was only sleeping. Now, what is it? Is everything okay?"

"Um well...oh yes! Guess what!? Hildegard is going to be married and she's throwing a huge party! You're invited of course and you can bring your friends from the village if you want. It's going to be phenomenal, no expense spared I'm sure."

"Married...Hildegard...already? That's..."

"Remarkable? I know! I'm pleased as punch. Oh say you'll come, she really wants you to be there. Please be there!"

"Of course. When is it?"

"Next week. I really can't believe she sprung all this on us right now and gave us so little time to prepare. Ugh. It will take me the whole week just to pick my dress. I'm so mad at her but I'm so happy too. I feel like I'm all over the place. You!" She directed her attention to Cedric. "If you think about marrying my sister you better throw a big party too, sir. I expect nothing but the best for her!"

"Amber..." Sofia warned, hands on her hips, her cheeks darkening.

"I'm just saying... you are planning to marry her though, right?"

"Amber please!"

"I am," Cedric finally spoke, pulling himself together. He said it calmly and politely but also directly so she understood he meant it. "You can certainly count on that. Only...that isn't something that leaves this room. Okay?"

Amber grinned at him, glad to see he was so sure about this. "Mums the word. Oh I can't wait for you two to be wed. I just have to be your wedding planner and you'll have the cutest babies if Callista is anything to go by."

Both of them turned bright red all over which didn't deter Amber but Sofia made sure to wrap things up and walk her out, turning to Cedric with a little awkward smile as they left. He watched her go, missing her of course, but his mind was now on how to tell the king about what Amber had just mentioned; marriage. He was nervous as could be just at the thought of it but to do it was another matter. He might faint or choke on his words or god knows what and come off as an embarrassment once more.

It didn't matter if his words faltered, they were true and from the heart and he swore he would say all he had to say. He spun his wand in a circle over and over forming what was looking like a ring. Yes soon, very soon, he would man up and go to Roland. It could no longer wait. No more hiding, lying, sneaking, and pretending. After Sofia got back from her party he would do it then, no matter what time it was, no matter what state he was in. He had waited long enough and was tired of it. In ten days, maybe less, he would ask for her hand and even if Roland flat out said no Cedric didn't care. Sofia would be his wife, that's all there was to it.


	19. Chapter 19

There had been a lot of preparation in order for Hildegard's big engagement party. Gifts were bought, outfits were picked out, and arrangements were made. Now the day had come and all that was missing were the guests. She had invited anyone who was anyone, wanting this to be the biggest soiree that everyone would be talking about for years to come. A lot of fine upstanding denizens of the upper crust would be there from marquis to counts and all things in-between. It was a VIP event, only the selected few could come. However she was charitable with some, allowing them guests. For the royal family of Enchancia they were all invited of course and Sofia was given the A-Okay on bringing Ruby and Jade who were thrilled to go to such a glamorous event.

Sofia was kind enough to let them both borrow whatever dress they wanted from her to look their very best. Freezenburg was an extremely cold place and everyone had to dress for that sort of weather. It was funny that someone from a temperate so cool was marrying someone from the desert. Literally polar opposites but they went together well. Everything packed up in the carriage and ready to go the gang headed on over to meet with the bride to be. Hildegard had really pulled out all the stops for this and had made absolutely sure that everything was perfect. She came out to greet them all, dressed in a stunning one of a kind silver dress that sparkled whenever she moved and hung off her shoulders. Her burgundy lips smiled at them serenely, she looked utterly in her element and so pleased with herself. She also looked calm, as if everything had finally gone right for her.

Her arm was hooked around Zandar's who was dressed just as fantastically as she was, in his traditional clothing. He and James instantly went to each other and started up a conversation and Hildegard did the same with Amber. This left Sofia to roam about the place in wonder with her friends at her side. She felt lost in the crowd of glimmering clothes and powdered faces but with Ruby and Jade there she was able to handle it. There was a live performance of acrobats, delectable food, orchestrated music, and dancing. It had been all in all a fun evening but Sofia was glad to be home where it was warmer. Hildegard had given them each a crystallized snowflake as a parting gift and Sofia placed hers alongside her many other treasures before finally going to sleep. Nearly a week had past and not much had gone on other then she went sailing at some point all the way to visit Lani as she missed her island friend.

She had also gone to a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new medical center in the village too but not much else. It had been quiet lately; her protectors had not called her nor her library and no one seemed in serious peril. Stately affairs also seemed to lessen. This left the royal family with some much needed break time to be a family first and royals second. This also left a certain wizard with a serious question to ask the king and now was the best time to do it. Roland now sat at a table with each of his family members, hanging out in the foyer in relaxed clothing playing a board game with them. Even though he was at ease the person lingering around the corner was not and had not been for days on end. A panic stricken but still determined Cedric loomed in the dark, watching the royal family and every time Sofia laughed or smiled he told himself that she was worth it. He had been building up the courage to do what he was going to do today and now that he was here his anxiety was starting to take a hold on him. He knew he was drenched in sweat that he kept wiping off and his heart was thudding so hard it pained him but it had to be done, it had to be.

He adored that woman and no man or beast was going to get in his way to her. So he sucked in a large breath of air, steadied his nerves as best as he could, and marched right into the room. His legs felt like they were made of paper that was crumpling with each step and the drumming of his own heart was deafening. Deep within his pocket was a ring and even though he had made it solid it was light yet it felt like it weighed a million pounds right now. He wasn't sure he would even get to show her the ring or put it on her at all but just in case he had brought it. He was shaking but it didn't matter. All that mattered was them, he and Sofia, their love. He cleared his throat gathering all the attention towards himself, trying to keep up good posture and feign levelheadedness. The fire he felt from all the eyes on him could singe his flesh but it was nothing in comparison to what he knew would happen after he opened his mouth. That is if anything even came out.

"I eheh ur um...I have an...a...ehem...a very important announcement to make."

His eyes met hers and she could see he was nervous and even scared. She knew then what he was about to say and steeled herself for what might happen. Miranda knew too and felt bad for the man, he was shaking in his boots literally. Now that he had their attention he didn't know what to say first or how to say it so he let his heart guide him in this situation just like Sofia. Roland gave him leave to speak and Cedric opened his mouth, letting out all his innermost feelings at last out loud for all to hear.

"As you all might have known I have what you would call a special connection with Sofia. She has been, through these many years, my greatest ally, my support, my muse. I truly owe her everything, I'd be nothing without her no matter what she might say it's the truth. Her devotion, her kindness, her warmth has gotten me through any and all of the heart break in my life and though I did not deserve a second chance she gave me one anyways. For that I am grateful. Sofia has often called me so many names that mean greatness but truly she is the great one, she is sensational. She's truly...for lack of a better word...magical. There might not ever be another one of her, she's special and the world is better off with her in it. I say all this because, to be frank, your highness, I am...in love with her. Totally, deeply, blissfully, perhaps even foolishly in love with her. I love her with all that is in me and so because of those feelings in my heart I have come here today to humbly beseech you for her hand."

Sofia made a sort of giddy whimper sound, smiling a lipped smile and her eyes watering. Her heart gushed with emotion at what was being said and that he had even dared to say it at all. Amber put her hand to her mouth and gasped, one could only imagine how she felt after not that long ago hearing her closest friend was getting married and now this. Sofia was so proud of him for doing this, it must have taken every ounce of bravery in his system to make his way over here and say all that. Roland looked stunned, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide and unblinking. After all this speculation on whether or not Sofia might like Cedric he had never thought about the other way around. In fact he had convinced himself Cedric did not like her that way at all, that she was just a dear friend to him. Surely no man, only a bit younger than he, could have such deep feelings for someone who he knew as a child?

He was out of it, spacing out as the information went into his head. James snapped his fingers a couple times then waved his hand in front of his dad's eyes to get his attention, finally snapping him out of his stupor. Cedric waited there on pins and needles, the ground below him felt like it was going to swallow him all up at any moment. "I...I...I...I...don't even know what to say...I..."

"Oh please say yes, dad!" Sofia pleaded, holding tightly to him and looking at him imploringly. He gaped at her, shaken by her actions and words. A crush was all he thought she had for him, a simple girlhood fiction that would fade away but to want to marry him? He hadn't a clue that the both of them were infatuated. The reveal of it all was astonishing. "I love him back, I love him so very much. I have always loved him, always. I don't care about his age or what he is."

"But but...but you...he..."

"He respects me, he is sweet to me all the time, he protects me, cares for me, he is one of the most fantastic men I have ever met. He has had his faults but we all make mistakes even if...some are worse than others. Please don't hold it against him, please...let us be together."

"Roland, he makes her happy. What more could you want than that for her?" Miranda intercepted, trying to add more reason and give Cedric a boost up. For her the happiness and safety of her children were what mattered and he did both for her. When she had Sofia she was very young and Birk was a fair bit older than her, by a few years. She knew that if Birk could speak from the heavens he would approve of Cedric too.

"I...but Sofia I... you're so young and he's so..." Roland trailed off gaining him a lot of squinted critical stares stopping him from finishing that sentence.

"I told you I don't care! I love him!" Sofia exclaimed proudly and passionately, tossing aside whatever ludicrous notion he might have attempted to put in front of her. Even if he was an ancient entity with ten eyes and red skin she'd love him still, it's just as an extra bonus she so happened to find his outside captivating too. She needed him to understand this, that never did she even think of how much older he was or anything else. Why couldn't people see past that?

"This can't be happening..." He muttered to himself but loud enough for all to hear, running his hands through his hair. "Never in all my days did I think this would ever happen. Sofia it is...this is beyond irregular for numerous reasons. Whether or not you care isn't the problem, there are rules and there's how I feel about all of this. I...I just..."

"Your majesty," Cedric interrupted as gently as he could, "If I may...I swear on everything that I own, on my very soul, that I would not harm her. I can understand your apprehension, firstly because of the age gap and secondly because of what I am and what I have done. I have not been the best person all the time but I have made a change, haven't I? I have served under the crown dutifully and you've seen it yourself, I would die for her. It had disturbed me that I had such emotion for her at first, I hated myself, I wanted to end my life. She's terrifyingly beautiful but it wasn't her looks that ensnared me, it was her personality. I can't be disgusted any longer not when in my heart it feels like it isn't wrong. I would do anything to have her as my wife, even if I had to wait longer for it. If you need time to think, take your time, but I won't stop loving her. I can't unlove her and she can't unlove me and we can't be torn apart."

"Daddy just say yes to the poor guy, he's risked so much for her and even now he's putting his body on the chopping block for you! Give him a chance, for pities sake! The man is throwing himself at your mercy," Amber pleaded desperately, gesturing toward Cedric the whole time.

It was true that at first she didn't approve of him at all, might have even attempted to separate them but she knew now that was wrong of her. If someone could make her sister radiate joy, make her light as air, make her sing wistfully, make her laugh long and loud, then he must be right for her. He was not some chiseled god nor was he a decorated nobleman but he had all the markings of a true hero and had earned his right, paid it in blood even, to be given the same respect as any other who wore a crown. Her sweet sister looked so upset right now, anyone could tell she wanted this more than anything in her life, wanted him more than anything too. They belonged together, they were good for each other and from where Amber stood there was nothing to say no about.

James was in the same boat more or less, having accepted it at face value a long time ago. He thought Cedric was cool, funny, clever, and fearless. In all his travels he put Sofia first, guaranteeing her safety even if it must cost him his own. That was enough for James. Just like Sofia he did not see Cedric's age, he just saw him as he was and if what he was pleased her so much then go for it. Their opinions on the matter weren't what Cedric was here for, though it most likely made him feel just a bit better. Roland still sat there with a wide eyed expression trying his best to process all of this. He couldn't believe that his eldest was for this as was seemingly everyone at the table. It seemed he alone was the only one weighing the question at all, everyone else was on board for their union. It wasn't even so long ago he recalled Amber trying to stop their goings out and now suddenly she was part of his small defense team. As far as Cedric went Roland should have not been so careless and rude to dehumanize him. He had been told by many many men that Sofia was surely the most beautiful princess in the kingdom.

This usually felt like a backhanded compliment as it painted Amber as the less pretty one. In his own mind they were both beautiful but the popular vote amongst his peers was always for Sofia. So he knew Sofia was to most eyes quite the beauty, he should have known Cedric would not be blind to that. He still didn't expect it. Sure she had a lovely inside and out but she was not yet even sixteen and he sought to covet her. It was difficult for him to think about, his old friend, his royal sorcerer, this once twisted person was the person who captured his daughter's fancy. It was obvious neither of them would back down on this and it was also obvious that he meant what he said. So why was he hesitating? Was the thought of this innocent young angel with this dark figure who was over twenty years older than her? Cedric knew if he stepped a toe out of line he lived in the castle and Roland would find out. He was risking his job, his livelihood, everything, and yet he stood firm on it. She meant a great deal to him, that much was evident and if he did anything to her, he'd kill himself before Roland ever got the chance to consider punishment.

Was he really letting his age and appearance alone dictate his decision? He had seen him at her fifteenth birthday party, seen the two dancing together. They waltzed perfectly in step and she looked like she was floating in a cloudlike dream, living in that moment. Cedric had looked actually pretty good and for a moment, just a moment, he seemed like any other noble there that night. What really set them apart? If he said yes now he'd be losing Sofia in a way and to Cedric no less, she'd be the first of his three children to be getting married and so soon. He had told himself Sofia would be last, she'd wait a long time before settling down like his own sister had. He didn't think he could do it, not yet and not to him. Seeing his hesitation and inner struggle in his eyes Miranda feared for what he might say. She liked Cedric enough to not want him to have to suffer because of something he couldn't help. Amber was fanning herself so rapidly her hand was a blur and her face was screwed into an angered pout.

"I...need some time to think things over. I just don't know if I'm ready to make a decision presently."

"This isn't fair," James sourly confirmed, giving his father a heated look of disapproval the king had never seen before. "Is it just because he's not a prince? Does that mean he deserves less than I do? Would you stall if it was me asking for your blessing with Zoe or Axel with Amber?"

"James..." He warned but the young man was a fighter, he would not back down which seemed to be a trait that spanned across all his children. He did not like arguing, against princely conduct and to argue with his father of all people was even worse. Still it was unjust what he knew was going on and justice was what James strived for if noting else. Long gone was the only cares about fun persona he had in his youth and though he played around and joked, if the topic mattered he'd get serious. Sofia's future certainly mattered and right now it seemed like that future was being held by his father. He felt she should be the one to decide her own fate but sadly she could not in this case and the thought bothered him.

"You wouldn't. Not only that but look who you married and you didn't care. You loved her and it didn't matter what she was. Why does it matter now? Is it because she's Sofia or because he's Cedric? Or is it both?"

"James, this is not your concern. It's between us three and for me this decision is a heavy one to weigh. Just give me some time, that's all I'm asking for."

"Please...don't argue over my account. If you need the time I understand... I know I don't appear to be the best choice in the world for her... it must be difficult to picture her with someone like me..."

Cedric forlornly sighed which caused Sofia to leap up from her chair and immediately go to him, holding him tight to her. She was trying to comfort him but also give her all of her love. "Don't talk about yourself like that... you aren't some awful evildoer; you are my Cedric. You are wonderful and clever and you have a good heart. No matter what anyone thinks you are worthy of me."

"Sofia..." He sighed out, crushing her against him. "Whatever happens I won't stop loving you. We just have to wait a little longer, okay? It will be alright in the end, you'll see."

He was soothingly stroking over her hair and through her hair, trying to quell her in any way. He was trying to assure not just her but himself too. Roland had not said no, he was at least semi willing to entertain the idea and hadn't jumped up from his seat in rage as Cedric had assumed. He was taken aback at the fact that the young royals had stood for his defense so boldly, going against the will of their own father. He knew part of it was because of Sofia but they must truly like him or he at least made a good impression. It was nice to have someone else on his side besides his princess. He was certain none knew the full extent of the matter, if they did he wasn't sure they'd be rooting for this and if Roland knew it wouldn't be pretty. It was best to keep the things they had done a secret but with Sofia being the way she was, so honest and true, he wasn't sure that would happen and more than anything he was terrified of Roland's wrath when he would, if he would, hear it.

Cedric lifted Sofia's chin up and smiled at her. "Smile for me, dear." She gave him a soft, weak smile. "That's my girl."

"Alright...if you want to give it some thought, dad, then that's okay. May Cedric at least have the permission to court me openly? That way you can see how much of a true gentleman he is. Maybe it will help you decide."

"That sounds like a good idea to me, Rolly. Every other suitor has had their chance, he deserves one too. It's only fair."

Roland put his fist under his chin, deep in contemplation about the offer in front of him. It would be strange to see Cedric as a romantic person and towards Sofia too. It might even put him off but he did deserve a fair trial. He owed the man a great debt of gratitude for saving Sofia's life and defending the kingdom too, he deserved a lot more than what he was giving him which was doubt and judgement. It was going to be unusual if the two were involved like that right in front of him and more so if they were wed but Roland would relent on this matter. He had decided on the proposition that Sofia had brought up.

"...Yes, you have my leave to do so. It will be like a trial to see how you are with her in that sort of state. When I've finally made up my mind about the subject of your proposal, I'll summon you both. Until then, best foot forward, Cedric. I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on you."

"I expect no less, your highness. Thank you, truly, for giving me this opportunity."

He bowed low as he could to him and Sofia curtsied, thanking him too. Cedric swore on all that was magic in the world that he would prove to him that he could be a sufficient husband for Sofia. Sofia believed in him as she always did, she knew he was up to the task and would complete it with flying colors. He would gain her father's approval, she just knew he would. With his permission they could be free to express their love in public and that in itself was something worth celebrating over. Cedric thanked the king once more while remaining in a bowing position then excused himself to his tower so he may continue his work.

"Do you need any help?" Sofia inquired with a hopeful, eager, and sweet voice.

A smile worked its way across his face hearing her desire for him to say yes in her voice. It wasn't just a need to be near him, he knew it was also because she wanted to watch him work and she wanted to help him in any way. He had no idea how he managed without her before. Come to think of it before she came along his workshop was a mess with clutter everywhere and often his vials got misplaced because he was not diligent enough to alphabetize them. He was not an organized person, other than his half hazardous plans at ruling, nor was he a tidy person. He wasn't a pig and liked to be clean, of course, and he certainly wasn't lazy by any means yet still his living quarters remained chaotic, thus why his robes were always dusty. Sofia was incredibly organized and tidy, having always cleaned up the entire house from a very young age and liking to have things neatly in their proper place. She never lost anything ever.

Now a days the place was cheerful, warm and inviting though if you asked Sofia it was always so. His bottles were all aligned and labeled, his books all sorted from A-Z, his shelves dusted, the cobwebs gone, and the floor shinier than a new penny. All thanks to her, his dearest apprentice though now she knew enough magic to not be called that anymore. Still he would call her it anyways, she liked to be called it just like she liked to be called princess by him even though she was now held the title of lady. They were his pet names for her and even if he didn't ever have a true lover before he had an endless supply of things to call her. He turned back towards her, observing the shimmer in her pale blue eyes. How could he say no to her? It was a task too difficult for any man much less himself. He didn't even really need any help but she looked so expectant, chewing just a touch on the very edge of her mouth.

"If you so desire, my lady."

It was the most formal thing he could say, he was still in the presence of her father and had just revealed his feelings towards her. He did not want to appear so enthused about having her alone in his tower, it was just Sofia helping him. Sofia did ask very respectfully if she could go with him, mostly directing it towards her father who seemed to have his eyes glued on Cedric. He felt those eyes on him alright, burning right through him, trying to claw their way into his head and read his thoughts. Now Roland knew of the love between the two and was no longer so certain about leaving them all by themselves any longer. Before he did not mind at all if they went anywhere and everywhere for all hours together even at night but now things had changed. Usually it was not exactly custom for a suitor to be in a room like that with their intended but their relationship was not custom at all nor was his own for that matter.

Amber knew what he was thinking which is why she had to be sneaky, she knew her father would not approve of having a boy in his daughters' chambers at such a pivotal time in their life. Amber never told them about that and neither did Sofia so Amber kept her lips sealed about having known Sofia had already slept in his bed. As to what else transpired she wasn't sure but no matter what she didn't really care anymore. It would have been called disgraceful behavior perhaps by the Amber of the past but she knew Sofia, she knew her heart. Maybe not as good as others but she knew it and Sofia, though pure as they come and child-like a lot of the time, had desires like any woman and she was always a go getter as well as a rule changer.

Besides, Amber knew of her own heart and she had no room to judge when it came to how she conducted herself with suitors. She trusted Cedric entirely now and felt that he was no aggressor that pushed Sofia into doing anything. He would never. Amber could tell the man thought Sofia was a walking goddess, his idol, and he was hers. If anything happened it happened how it was meant to and was done with nothing but love. Even looking at them now the two were clearly sick with love for each other. How had she not noticed? How had no one noticed? James stood up so hurriedly that it shook Roland out of his thinking.

"Look, I'll go with them, okay?"

"Sofia shouldn't have to have a babysitter," Amber fumed, her wrist cramping from fanning so rapidly. It was all she could do to cool herself off from her anger.

James didn't verbally disagree or agree, he just moved next to Sofia and pushed her forward, heading towards the tower. Cedric flicked his eyes over at everyone just for a moment then skulked away. It bothered him that James was going to be there but at the same time he knew James didn't want to be there. Not because he didn't care about him, in fact it was because he cared that he said anything. He didn't carry his sister's sometimes short fuse but he prided himself on certain values that came from knighthood. One of those values told him there was something deeply flawed about this whole situation. They kept quiet until they got into the actual room where Sofia transformed her clothing into her wizarding attire and then asked what there was to do. Cedric told her what she should start on first, the air between them significantly changed somehow now with someone watching their every move. It turned out they didn't need to worry.

"Well have fun," James said in a chipper way, turning towards the door.

"Wait aren't you supposed to be...you know...?"

James turned to Cedric with a cocked brow but a grin. "I said I'll go with you. I went but I never said I would stay with you." He winked at them both.

Cedric stood there with his mouth opened at what James was doing. He was in a way going against his father, he had lied to him, went behind his back, tricked him and Cedric loved him for it. He had never given much thought to James or Amber really but just recently they had shown great concern for his part even if it was the result of Sofia's existence. Sofia understood what he had done too and why and ran over to James to give him the biggest hug. She whispered thank you to him sincerely.

"Thank you? For what? I'm only doing what's right. I trust him with you, I always have, I'm just sorry dad doesn't."

"That means...a great deal to me, your highness," Cedric sincerely expressed, now seeing the two blonde twins in a whole new light. They truly had changed. Cedric didn't want a divide between the two and their father nor did he want to be the cause of it but at the same time he accepted it. With hope this would actually help convince the king not ruin everything.

"You can just call me James, I mean you'll be my brother in law one day and I'd be proud to call you that."

Cedric blushed in spite of himself in front of the praise, unsure what to say other than words of thanks. James coolly told him not to mention it with a bright beam then left, waving at the two. Sofia leapt into Cedric's arms, her cheeks dimpling with her smile. He returned her embrace, spinning her side to side slowly.

"Now I feel bad for not giving him a birthday present last year."

"But you did. You gave him that dummy he always uses, the magic one that fights back. He loves it."

"I meant a good present, dear. Perhaps next year I'll conjure him a fine sword, an unbreakable one."

"Even better than Excalibur?"

"I can't do miracles and I'm no Merlin but it will certainly not break and that means a lot for a knight."

"Merlin's a powerful wizard but I still prefer you and to me you can do miracles."

"My dear you are the miracle worker, not I." He nuzzled his nose into her hair. It smelled like flowers and sunshine. "It's truly a miracle that I got out of that whole ordeal with your father with my dignity intact."

"You did exceedingly well in front of him and you...what you said about me... it made me just want to run over and kiss you forever."

"Well...we are alone now... and we don't have forever but we have an hour. Still want to kiss me?"

She nodded at him as she was pulled closer, their lips meeting, eyes locked. "Always and forever."


	20. Chapter 20

Cedric made it his solemn duty to impress the king with his gentlemanly approach to wooing Sofia. He didn't need to court her at all, they already were deeply in love but he needed to prove himself to Roland. It had spread like a plague around the castle what was going on with the youngest princess and the sorcerer and even if no one had told them it was hard to ignore. Wherever Sofia was, Cedric was not far behind or the other way around, and the two were not short on being amorous with the other. Of course they never took it too far, Cedric only kissed her hand or cheek. Still for the staff that adored the little princess it was odd but especially so for Baileywick. He had grown to like Cedric with time, respect him, appreciate him, sometimes admire him, but he hadn't a clue his love for Sofia ran so deep.

He might have guessed so for Sofia, as she was endlessly in awe with the magician but for him? It appeared no one suspected his feelings for her went past friendship, that he was far too mature and sensible to even consider it and that she was nothing but his friend, that he could not see her as anything else. Even if he had felt anything they might have thought he would keep it inside but shock of all shocks he did not. Baileywick's mouth hung open when he heard that Cedric had outright proposed to her in front of the whole royal family. That took a lot of nerve, he would admit, and could have gone more than poorly for the man. Being fired would have been the nicest thing that would have happened, it was a surprise Roland was not so insulted that he said some things unbecoming of a king.

Baileywick supposed he understood why the king had not blown off his top and he thought it was a combination of being around his family, Sofia's pleading, the twins and his own wife standing up for Cedric, but most of all Cedric's own actions. One of the only reasons to even be mad was because of what Cedric was which was undeniably not of royal blood at all. His family line traced back to nothing but powerful magic wielders. Of course his age was another huge topic but neither in the couple even bat an eye at the large number representing his age. He wasn't mad that Cedric dared ask him at all mostly because it was done courteously but with enough shame that marked him as a low person before the high standing royals. It took everything in Cedric's system to not collapse from the stressful situation he had placed himself in and he was true in his wording and intentions. He meant well and he even admitted fully to at first even being revolted by his own love for her. That alone made it very hard for Roland to even be angry. He didn't feel an ounce of rage just confusion.

He watched them when he could and saw the light in Sofia's eyes shine harder than the brightest diamond and that glow he had almost ignored once now outlined her entirely. Sofia was always a chipper, giddy person, her gay prancing about and sweet laughter was normal but it was in Cedric he saw a change. Admittedly he thought it would be awkward for the man to perform as a romancer but he did it as if it was second nature. He didn't even seem to notice whenever he was being observed, he was too in love with her, so deeply enraptured with each other that they noticed not much else. They took long walks together, hooked arm in arm, gazing adoringly into each other's eyes, whispering words of nothing but the purest romantic things or just everyday casual chat. Nobody had seen Cedric smile like that, sigh like that, act like that. Suddenly the way he said my dear to her had a different ring to it and maybe it always did but they were noticing it now.

Roland had to be coerced into allowing them to be alone in his workshop but really only because Sofia looked like it would devastate her to not see him work. There was no denying those big blue eyes looking so downcast at the mere thought of not being around him. He made Cedric swear not to do anything and without missing a beat he did and he kept his word. Since then he had done nothing more than a quick kiss on the lips. It was torture to him to not be able to touch her and kiss her for prolonged times or do more than that but he had promised and he did not want to ruin this rare chance. He had to be on his best behavior. It was vexing at times, they both longed for that ability to act upon their heart's desires, but it would be worth it in the end.

It was enough for Sofia just to be near him, hold his hand, hear him whisper sweet nothings, though she would not lie that she had missed the familiar intimacy they had, now stolen because all eyes were on him. It was no wonder Amber did what she did with her suitors and never really spoke about them. It could be a little frustrating to shackle yourself down and act the role of a prim, proper princess. Sofia was never an ordinary princess, she would counteract the rules set before her, break the mold set for hundreds of years. Conformity was not for her, she had grown up believing she was capable of anything and could do anything, so she always questioned the logic before her. Thus women of power could now participate in sports, dangerous adventures, and dress in unique ways. If Sofia wants to wear pants then she would but, in this case, she must obey, like it or not. She was assisting with folding the laundry that would go into her room when Baileywick just blurted out a question that had been on his mind since this all started.

"Do you really love him Sofia?"

She turned her head up to him and smiled. "Yes, of course. I love him very much."

He pondered this for a moment, continuing his folding then paused. "And does he really love you? Does he respect your wishes?"

She blinked at him, a bit taken back. "He loves me as truly as any man has ever loved a woman. He treats me like one, a woman I mean, so I would call that respect. Why are you asking? Do you doubt us...? It's beginning to wear on me that I have to explain to everyone that Cedric is who my heart chose and his chose mine, no matter what. Please...please stop focusing so much on what he is... we never cared. It's just that simple."

"Oh Sofia, I didn't mean to upset you," Baileywick calmly explained, touching her back. To him this was the child he never had and though he loved James and Amber, Sofia held a special place in his heart. In that he felt he had to protect her from things but it seemed she already had her knight. "I'm just worried, is all. I've seen Cedric before you knew he existed and I have come to accept him slowly over time. It's hard for me, for anyone really, to understand this. However, that being said, there have been a lot of romances like yours in the history of Enchancia, just not too many during my time."

"There have been?"

"Oh yes of course, the earliest I could think of is your great great grandfather. He married three times I believe but his second wife, Wilhelmina, was the youngest he had but you see back then it was more custom to marry off your young daughters to older kings. It was a way to secure their future, some were even promised off before they were born. These days it's more based off of choice."

"Then why is my own choice being so limited? Do people think I'll just up and stop loving him then move onto someone more appropriate for me? Why is it no one thinks he's okay...that there is something wrong with our love?"

"You have to try and understand this from the perspective of those around you. We don't think he's a bad man, honestly ever since he changed he's been quite the opposite, but it's still unheard of for someone that age to be with someone your age in these times. That being said, Sofia, I don't think anyone will be against you. The fact that King Roland is mulling it over at all means it's worth his time, if he meant to say no believe me he would have said no. Just give it some time, he will warm up to the idea."

"Have you...?"

Baileywick breathed in deeply then as he breathed out he smiled. "It may take a while for me as well but as long as you are happy then I don't suppose I mind. I know him well, and he wouldn't harm you even if he was forced to. I know he will take good care of you at least."

Sofia wasn't sure if this was a positive thing entirely, this truly meant that all that was holding him back was the obvious. She tried to be understanding as she always was, to see it from their viewpoint, to assess it the way they were but the only one who was having trouble with it was the one person who they needed to approve of it. She gave it her all to understand the whole age and rank thing, those two big road blocks that were all anyone saw. She couldn't. So she tried instead to think about how he was and how he had tried to take over the kingdom. It took such a long time for Roland to fully trust him but he had come through again and again. So she was stuck pondering it all, pacing about the outside of her castle.

Her sister was on a date with Axel not that far away, he was rowing her in one of the large row boats on the lake while she relaxed, leaned back in her large summer hat. Sofia had rarely ever envied her siblings for any reason but in some respect now she did. Axel most likely didn't even need to ask permission to court her and nobody was watching them. Sofia let out a long exasperated sigh, both because of the situation and because it was exceedingly hot out. Too hot for these fancy dresses, she wasn't sure how Amber was surviving in her mountains of green colored cloth. She was taken out of her sudden and unbefitting gloom by Cedric, leaning before her with a grin.

"Hello beautiful. I have a little gift for you."

That made her eyes twinkle again and no longer did she think upon anything more than her excitement about a surprise from him. He pulled out a vibrantly bright bouquet of flowers from behind his back, the petals within inches of her nose so she could smell them. When she reached for them, thanking him for such a wonderful present, the flowers started moving suddenly in a strange way. They started leaping off of the stems and became a hoard of gorgeous butterflies, fluttering about her, playing with her hair and tickling her face. Her light laughter flowed from her, she was happy as could be, twirling in the sea of fast flying colors. They attached themselves to her body, wings still moving, causing a tickle about her then their wings stopped and she noticed her dress shortening in length. Now she was wearing an entirely different dress, one with the array of hues, and stationary butterflies decorating her hemline and one on her chest.

She excitedly squealed, turning around and around, the sunlight catching on each of the colors making her feel like a rainbow. "Oh my god this is amazing! Truly amazing! And it feels so...breathable, I don't feel so hot in this new dress. Oh how do you do it? You exceed expectation again and again."

He chuckled, a bit full of himself thanks to that. "Well it was nothing for me, really. Turning flowers into butterflies is an easy enough spell, turning butterflies into clothing is more advanced but for the sensational Cedric, an easy task. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Yes yes yes! Very much so! Can I keep the dress or will it turn back into butterflies?"

"It's a gown now permanently. Not that you need any more but I thought you could use a shorter one. It's disgustingly hot today, so much so I'm almost tempted to rid myself of my robes."

"Then let's take it off," Sofia suggested, loosening the front tie on his robe with ease. She was reaching up to help him take it off entirely when he stopped her with his hand. "What? Do you really want to keep it on so badly?"

"Yes and no. It's been a comfort to me for many years, something for me to hide in. Now that I'm with you I feel like I shouldn't hide anymore. Not that I'm ever getting rid of my robe but still. I'm only stopping you so I can do it myself. If you do it then... it would make things... well...I'd...Oh just let me do it."

Sofia backed off from her task, unsure by what he meant. She was too innocent to understand that Cedric couldn't be touched by her like that, to have her remove his clothing, even just something so simple. He had been withholding from his innermost wants, ridding his mind of them as much as possible, but if she did that it would make it harder on him. Her beauty was a blessing but it was in some regard a curse, like a rose with too many thorns, every time he went to hold her he got pricked by his conscious. He had to keep himself somewhat distant and they both knew that but that didn't mean Sofia always understood. Regardless of their previous actions she was still naïve to a lot of things. Once his robe was off and hung on a tree, he rolled up his sleeves under her attentive gaze. Even that was a bit much for him.

"See isn't that much better?"

"I still feel hot..." He responded but murmured under his breath, "though not for the reason you think."

She didn't hear a word he said, either that or she didn't get it. Sofia just took his hand in hers and walked with him to the gazebo so they'd be under some shade. There they sat and enjoyed each other's company as well as some food Cedric conjured up, mostly confectionery since Sofia loved sweets. Unbeknownst to them Roland was on watch duty right now, peering through the curtains at them. Sofia was laughing, Cedric had just finished a joke. Roland was startled by his wife tapping him on the back.

"Oh Miranda, sweetie. Don't you look lovely today."

"What are you doing?" She asked with suspicion in her voice.

"I'm just looking outside that's all. Isn't it a wonderful day? We should go out and enjoy it."

"And then casually drop by Sofia and interrupt her date?" Miranda hinted with a raised brow.

"I didn't have any intention of such a thing. I didn't even know she was outside."

"Roland, of all the things you are great at, lying isn't one of them."

He let out a sigh. "Alright, you've caught me. I can't get anything past you. It's true...I was watching them but that's what I said I'd do. I have to make sure-"

"Of what, honey? Why does that man have to prove anything anymore? Hasn't he done more than enough? I trust him, your children trust him, it's only you who seems not to, at least not enough to trust him with handling being a good husband."

Roland shifted his vision to back out the window, viewing his daughter and Cedric, hands intertwined, eyes only for each other, nothing but smiles all around. Then far off into the distance he could see his other daughter and Axel and begun to ask himself why he was not concerned about them. Were they any different? What would happen if Cedric happened to be of age, at the very oldest 20? Axel was about that age and Amber was sixteen, almost seventeen her birthday would be within a few weeks. Why did sixteen feel like an okay age but fifteen felt so young? He had no clue what Amber was up to unless she was literally in front of him and he usually paid her no mind. Perhaps it was that Amber felt more grown up and womanly in comparison to Sofia, whose earnest good spirit and wonderment made her seem young. Her purity made her seem like a baby almost and Cedric seemed, thanks to genetics and stress, ten years older than he was. Thus it was like a small white baby bird and a giant black crow. Something about that may have come off as wrong to him.

Seeing them now as they were removed that. Cedric seemed just as youthful and lively, all of this sprung forth from knowing her and being around her. Roland had to put it out of his mind somehow that this man was about his age for that was the biggest thing in his mind but no one else seemed to care about it but him. He wondered why when her own mother approved of it and if the roles were reversed and she was in control they might already be planning their wedding right now with an eager Amber by their side. This was her birth child and she gave it very little thought. Why, he wondered, was it such a simple task for everyone else but him? As he was about to answer that question, he heard a lot of ruckus, the front door had been opened as if someone was barging in and there were rapid footsteps. He and Miranda knew this conversation would have to wait for another time, whatever was going on was more important.

When the king and queen made it into the main room, they almost collided with someone who was running towards them, clutching a scroll or some sort of parchment in his hand. He seemed to be of slight high standing but not a nobleman, just a high ranking servant. Roland grabbed him by his shoulders and urged him to calm down and explain what was going on. The man was able to pull himself together, breathing slowing down over time. He took off his plum colored feathered hat and began to fan himself with it. It was obvious the heat and running so fast and so much had gotten to him. They both felt bad for him and sat him down, ordering a cool glass of water for him. The maid immediately went to go fetch it and when she brought it back, he thanked all of them for their kindness before gulping it all down in seconds.

"Forgive me, your highnesses, for the sudden intrusion but it was an emergency. I am Reginald, a royal messenger of the kingdom of Brightland and I have a message from my king and queen. They told me it was imperative you read it and that I best be quick getting it to you or else."

Reginald handed over the crushed up scroll to Roland who undid the red ribbon and began to read it, though not aloud. Miranda peeked over his shoulder and read it too and as they followed the words their eyes rounded. Suddenly nothing else in the world mattered besides what those words had spelled out to them both. Roland had heard of this kingdom though briefly and there was some bad blood between them from long long ago from their ancestors. Nothing had come of it for a long time since there had been a temporary armistice but now that was over and it seemed the new rulers had a proposition to make, one that laid heavily on them, and one that would decide everything about not just the future of their kingdom but of Sofia's as well.

After excusing himself and relieving the messenger, Roland went and sat in his office reading and re-reading the message, every muscle on him was taut, every nerve in bundles. It was the most complicated thing he had to deal with and it was tied with the other, in retrospect, less complicated thing he was already dealing with. He didn't know how or when to talk to Sofia about this since it concerned her in depth. There were already a lot of things going on in her life, too many things including the most recent one, and he didn't want to put more on her but the alternative was going to put her and his entire kingdom in terrible danger.

How exactly the letter was written was lengthy and as cordial as could be for what it was saying but it boiled down to this; they wanted to grow the wealth and posterity of their kingdom by conjoining it with Enchancia. Their way of doing this was to marry off Sofia to their eldest son, thus making her the queen of Brightland. There were obvious complications with that. The most obvious was Cedric and her affections with him. Roland had not approved of them and if he did then his problems might be resolved but it was the opposite because their options laid out were either marry off Sofia or they would start a war and claim Enchancia for themselves.


	21. Chapter 21

The letter had fortunately given Roland time to think upon the offer but it was not enough time. The options were both harmful to Sofia but one was harmful to his entire kingdom. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy and free but deciding to give her over just like that to someone she didn't know and was not in love with was a cruel act. He had assumed bartering using your own children had been done away with before his father's time and arranged marriages only used in select places. Roland felt sure part of this was due to spite from the bitter past but if that wasn't true then they were truly trying to patch things up and this was the only way to do so. He knew Sofia would do anything to save her land and her family, even if she hated the things she might have to do for it but he couldn't do that to her. He had already given her limited options in her life, told her no, made her wait. If he wasn't so doubtful and mistrusting of Cedric then he could use their betrothal as an excuse and perhaps find another way to conjoin the kingdoms.

Now he was forced to sacrifice either her entire life or her entire home. Roland was certain his fighters were the very best, all his knights well trained, but that didn't mean they would win a war and he didn't want to ensue in one either. He thought he had been strained before, he was on pins and needles now and worst of all Sofia was in complete darkness about it all. The only ones who knew were Miranda, a few of the staff members that he trusted, and the soldiers all of which were sworn to secrecy. Miranda did not like keeping such a huge secret from her daughter, it all felt entirely wrong to her. Sofia deserved to know about anything that concerned her. At some point the twins had found out, specifically Amber.

It was bound to happen at some point as she was essentially a member of the royal court now, becoming a part of the council and even attending meetings. She was being taught all the politics and rules of queenhood and so it was spilled to her by someone who assumed she knew. When she found out she hurried as fast as her heels could carry her and burst into her father's study unannounced. He was holding a small meeting with his mother, aunt Tilly, and a few select others from his family and personal friends. All heads turned towards the young lady whose blonde hair was a mess because of her running. She didn't even seem to care about her state, she picked up her skirts and scampered up the large mahogany desk, slamming her gloved hand upon the surface.

"I demand some answers, right now! What's all this business about marrying Sofia off to a prince from another kingdom?!"

"Amber, sweetie, please calm down," Her grandmother tried to pacify, moving strands of yellow hair from her face. "This isn't something you need to be concerned about."

"Oh, don't I?" She huffed, stepping backwards so she wasn't touched, her eyes only fixed on her father who had a look between frustration, defeat, and some empathy along with perhaps shame. "I will be taking my place among the upper class noblemen; I will be no different than mom soon. Any agreements with another kingdom, any trades with villages, any stocks, anything that goes on in Enchancia is now something I have to be apart of and have been. This is very much my concern. Plus it has something to do with my little sister. Explain, now!"

Everyone in the room exchanged looks of concern but it was aunt Tilly who was the first to talk. "She's right Roland. We need to tell her."

He took in some air. She noticed the dark rings around his eyes and the worn out look on his face. Whatever this was, it must be incredibly stressing to cause him to lose sleep over. "Amber sit down and I'll explain everything."

She did as she was told, all ears with a serious face on but her queenly façade faltered as she heard what was going on. When it was all told to her Amber's mouth was opened in shock but she covered her mouth with her hands. She felt her heart break and knew it would be worse for her sister. "Does...does Sofia know all this?"

All the heads around her shook no and this only upset her further. "What do you mean she doesn't know? Nobody told her? This is about her and it's incredibly imperative that she know and have a decision in all of this. Were you all just going to keep it a secret forever? Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because Amber," Her father explained, sounding as if he had explained this a million times already, "I'm afraid of what she will do and say. You know her, she might decide to go through with the worst option for her love life because she wants to protect everyone. I don't want her to feel like that's a choice she needs to make."

"That's true... she would do that but she should still know... it feels wrong to lie to her. We can't just keep this from her and she will find out eventually. I mean, look at me, somebody just accidentally told me. I'd hate for her to find out that way and know we all went behind her back, knowing this important event in her life was going to happen, and didn't tell her until it was too late. You need to let her know and soon. I can't keep my mouth shut for more than a couple days, I'm willing to admit that, so you'd better tell her before I end up doing so."

"I need to get everything together before I can tell her. It's not an easy one step process you know, none of this is easy."

Amber understood that. Things had been so simple when she was a child going to school, having parties, just enjoying life and now she had all these things to worry about. The whole day she was in a depressed slump, having this heavy subject matter on her and not knowing what to do about it. Sofia was noble, she would not want there to be a war at all but to choose the other option was to literally sever her connection with the one person she felt was her true love. It was a huge loss that she would not want to take in the least but would have to take and knowing her she just might. Amber had to lock herself in her room in order to not say anything to her because just seeing her face would instantly wash her with guilt, pity, and remorse. She couldn't keep this up though and someone was noticing. Her twin.

It didn't take long for a comforting James to figure it out because Amber exploded and told him everything but also made him join the long train of people who were withholding massive amounts of information from Sofia. James was much better at keeping secrets than she was but he also could not come face to face with Sofia, knowing what he knew without feeling those same emotions Amber did. Sofia was noticing all of this, the people actively avoiding her, the whispers, the stares filled with sadness and seeming to know something she didn't. Even Baileywick was doing this to her, not avoiding her he couldn't and wouldn't, but pausing a lot to touch her head, her cheek, and sigh somberly. Whenever she asked if he was okay, he'd put on a smile that didn't look real, a smile she had come to recognize over her time dealing with liars.

She was intuitive and could tell when something was being kept from her but at the moment today she didn't have too much time to worry about it, though it was on her mind. Today she visited some sick children in the village with Cedric, thinking magic would cheer them up and she brought them medicine straight from his own apothecary. She also made soup, with ingredients from her very own garden, magically enhanced by the kind gnomes. There was a lot going on inside her head but she kept it there and would think on it later, for right now the children needed her. It was hard to do so when even in the village there were people who knew things about her she didn't or it seemed so. Regardless she made her way into the little hospital and went to the children's ward. It made her sad that so many were ill but hopefully she could make them better, one at a time. All of the kids were excited to see her for everyone in Dunwiddie knew her well but they were equally enthusiastic about seeing the royal magician who had, thanks to her, a wonderful reputation. Those that could clambered to him, begging for a performance, tugging on his robes.

"Alright alright. If you all take a seat I will give you a magic show you shall not forget."

All the kids sat whether on the floor, in chairs, or in their sick beds as Sofia gave the nurses the medicine and soup, smiling as she saw him. This was his element even if he seemed to not like performing as a clown for children this was still where he liked to be, adored by the public even if said public were sick children. He had done nothing yet and they were all staring up at him full of adoration and ready to be amazed, just as she was when she was young and still did to this day.

"First I'll need the help of my lovely assistant, Sofia."

She smiled even bigger, blushing lightly as she approached his side and awaited instructions. Their first magic act was making her disappear and reappear then levitation and a few other things he knew would easily impress them. He was now entertaining them with simple card tricks as Sofia poured each bowl of soup out and helped place one by each bed side. It was a wholesome scene, Cedric and the children, all smiling and laughing together. It gave her a good picture of her future with him and that made her blush again, easily imagining them as her own. She wondered if any of her own children would have a streak of white hair but she knew most likely he was a special case. It was easy to forget everything else that was going on in those moments but once it was over it was time to confront the big issues.

Just as Sofia had noticed everyone acting strange around her, Cedric noticed her secretly being upset and if she was sad in any degree, so was he. He waited until they got to the castle and was able to sit her down outside, one of her favorite places to be, to talk with her. Her animals also noticed her discomfort and some even gathered around her. Cedric had gotten used to them, even sort of liked them to some extent, so when the smaller animals scurried over to her and some went onto her shoulder or in her lap, he didn't even mind them. The two sat on the outdoor bench with his arm around her. They had such a fun time earlier that he would wonder why she was even the littlest bit troubled but he wasn't an idiot, he knew something was going on within the inner sanctum of the castle. Secrets were being kept behind closed doors, and he knew they were about her but if he tried to confront anyone they acted like they had no clue what he meant.

"What's wrong, love?"

"It's just... somethings off...I can feel it all around me. It's like something is wrong in the atmosphere, something is telling me danger is coming but I don't know from where or when. I think everyone else knows and it's upsetting because they won't tell me anything about it. Everyone is keeping some sort of secret from me, James, Amber, my own parents, everyone."

She looked up into his eyes, her discontent reflected in them. "You're not keeping it from me too...are you?"

Uncaring about which of her woodland critters he might squish in the process, he grabbed her and pulled her into his warm embrace. "No no I swear I have been nothing but truthful with you. I've noticed it too but no one will answer me when I ask. I can't fathom the idea of the entire castle turning against you but that's what it seems like. It angers me that they would keep something from you but what can I do?"

"Why would everyone lie...? It must be something horrible..."

Cedric had no words to say all he could do was act and he tried his best to comfort and ease her, stroking over her head. They stayed like that for a while letting time pass them by when Baileywick came to fetch her, not just her but Cedric too at the king's request. There were a hundred options and things running through Sofia's mind about what he would say and if it had to do with accepting Cedric or not or if it was something far worse than she could imagine. She had never felt so anxious before and for Cedric it was double due to his panic around Roland already and never so much as right now. Neither of them had a clue what they were in for when those doors opened revealing her father and mother standing there with apprehensive faces. They gestured to the chairs and both sat down, Cedric was visibly shaking due to his nerves but Sofia reached over and held his hand and that helped calm him.

"Sofia, Cedric, I have ordered you both here because there is something I need to discuss with you both. It's mainly about you, Sofia, but Cedric needed to hear it and it would be unfair to not include him in anything pertaining to you. This... is the most difficult thing I have to say and I have been avoiding it. I have even gone through the lengths of telling everyone to keep it a secret but that's not right of me. I should have told you the moment I found out. A few days ago I received a proposal letter from the kingdom of Brightland by their messenger Reginald and either decision they gave me is bleak and grim. However, your choice must be taken into consideration... even if your choice in the matter will... not seem the best course of action. They want to unify our kingdoms but the only way they see fit is to make you their queen by marrying their oldest son. The most awful part of it all is that if I don't do that, if I say no, they will start a war. You see now why it was so hard for me to tell you..."

Sofia's heart dropped and felt like it might have disappeared somewhere in a void. Her eyes were widened and her hand that grasped Cedric's tightened. Her eyes then found the floor scanning across it or perhaps she was looking at her hand on her skirt, crumpling up the fabric. Her eyebrows were tense as she sat there in contemplation of her next move as well as soaking this all in. Cedric was at a loss for words, his own heart had shattered hearing this and knowing what the safest option was. For the safety of Enchancia and its people she would have to marry someone else and he would suffer in silence, day by day feeling like someone was stabbing him in the chest reminding him she would never be his. He'd have to watch her kiss and marry another man, a union only meant to strengthen the two kingdoms but weaken her. It would destroy them both and every day would be a lie for her. Yet as atrocious as that would be it was the only option that would keep the village she grew up in, her castle she lived in, the people she loved all undamaged. She might have to even give up being a protector and story keeper but she'd have no choice.

He'd lose her in every way possible, she wouldn't even be in his sight anymore and how he'd ache, how he'd die every day with no shred of joy left. He didn't think he could move on and function properly without her but he'd have to somehow. War was no game and people got hurt, places got destroyed, things burned down, many would get killed and since her brother was a knight that might have to include him on top of her own father. He knew she wouldn't put anyone in peril. The most sensible choice would not cause any deaths save the death of her own spirit and his own. Sofia closed her eyes tightly and reflected upon all the teachings and lessons the other princesses gave her for answers and also because something about this wasn't right. She could not call any forth but she could hear them, all of them, even ones she knew nothing about or had not met. She presented her plight and awaited answers. All of them resonated the same thing from the very first of the princesses, to the ones of the great unknown, from the ones younger than her and the ones older than could be fathomed, all told her in part what she should do. She agreed with them entirely. She opened her eyes, not a single sign of sadness stood in them, just determination.

"I know what I must do," She resolutely stated, unafraid of what lay ahead, unconcerned with others opinions on the matter. "I will go over there myself and speak to the queen and king, tell them my side of the story, let them understand why I cannot go through with this and maybe we can come to another sort of agreement."

"Sofia that's not going to work, I know that for sure. If you go over there, on their land, who knows what they will do? And especially if you tell them that you can't marry their son because you want to marry, no offense, the royal sorcerer. They will laugh at you if not get incredibly insulted," Roland replied back.

"I...agree with him," Cedric finally relented, still not taking his hand away from hers. It might be the last time he got to hold it and he cherished the warmth and comfort it brought him, if only for a moment. Roland was surprised at that but so was Miranda. He was signing away the very woman he had gone through so much effort to have and so much trouble to be with. They both understood that even if it that split his heart right in two that he knew it was the only true option. "Please... Sofia you should-"

She turned her head towards him rapidly, her stare silencing him. "I won't have everyone continue telling me what I should do or what is right for me to do or what the rules say. I'm done with it all and it's time I stand up for my own rights and do what is right by me. I won't be without you, Cedric, that's just not going to ever happen. With you...is where I feel I belong and in here, with my family, in the place I love so dearly. I won't leave it and I won't leave you. Even if you say no, even if you all refuse, I will go anyways. You can try to stop me, block me, throw guards at me but I will still find a way. This needs to be done, they need to hear me out. Now, I'm going," She explained, rising from the chair, releasing Cedric's hand.

"Sofia wait!" Roland called after her, making the princess pause in her footing but Miranda placed a hand on his chest and shook her head no. She smiled at her daughter who smiled back at her. "Miranda... why are you stopping me? Sofia can't do this...she can't right all the wrongs in the world. There are some things even Sofia isn't capable of."

"No," Cedric replied with a smile of his own, "that's not true at all. Sofia is capable of anything."

Moved by the emotions his words of approval gave her, she went right to him, holding him tight, then kissed him once on the cheek before running out the door. She mounted Minimus and flew off into the distance, confident, assured of her choice, and full of the bravery that made her worthy of being selected for so many of the duties she had come to handle. Roland leaned up against the desk looking at the calm faces around him, all unphased by what she was doing and what could happen because of it.

"I... don't think I understand... how are you all so certain she won't fail?"

"She won't," Miranda assured, patting him on the back.

"But...how do you _know_ she won't?"

"Because," Cedric clarified as if this was the simplest truth he knew, "She's Sofia."

Minimus's wings beat strong and proud against the headwinds, his eyes squinted and teeth clenched. Sofia, with her riding helmet on and goggles placed over her eyes, held onto him and went in the direction of Brightland. She knew where it was because she studied maps all her life and based on her knowledge, she felt certain she could find it. Sofia felt bad that her flying horse had to take her under such conditions with the gusts of wind enough to make a bigger horse struggle much less one so small but this was important. He knew that so he continued forth, giving it his all until at last there was a break in the strong gales and it was clear skies ahead. It took what felt like an hour to her to reach the kingdom and she realized it was similar to her own only there were a lot more white colored roofs and the palace was white with gold everywhere.

It seemed very stately and pristine. As soon as she landed everyone seemed so confused by her. Apparently, there was no such thing as a woman riding on a flying horse here. The guards at the castle, upon recognizing she was a visiting princess, instantly let her inside. She was walked to the throne room by one of the guards there who announced her. The carpet underneath Sofia's feet was a rich red color that looked so soft like Ginger's fur. Upon the golden and white thrones sat the King Bernard and Queen Eliza, who both seemed surprised by their visitor. When they heard who she was and where she was from, they seemed enthused and pleased.

"Well this is an unexpected surprise but no less welcomed," The queen spoke gracefully, permitting Sofia to come closer and explain why she was here. Queen Eliza looked fair, she had a cupids bow lip and dainty eyelashes that framed gentle brown eyes. Her hair was orange with signs of aging white and tied back into a bun giving her that subtle royal flair a queen should have. The king looked welcoming but mighty with broad shoulders and the most unusual grey eyes.

Sofia curtsied the deepest she could manage just like she was always shown to in her classes before addressing them properly. "Your royal lady and lordship, I come all the way from Enchancia to, in a way, answer the proposal you sent."

"Ah so you've decided on marrying our eldest son, Lucas. How wonderful," Eliza assumed with a contented voice.

"Not...exactly no," Sofia clarified, not fidgeting or looking away from them. She did not want to come off as fearful or have any ill intent in her words but she wanted them to understand her clearly. "You see, back when I was just a newly crowned princess I met someone and that someone has been very special and dear to me. As I grew into ladyhood I knew I was in love with him but it took a fair bit of time for him to realize the same for me. Recently, many days before we received word of your letter from the messenger, he asked for my hand but my father wanted some time to decide upon it. With everything going on it's a wonder he has time to think on anything at all. So you see, I mean you all no disrespect, but my heart has chosen. Don't you understand what it means to love and how hard it would be to separate me from the one I care so much for? If I was to marry your son it would be forced and there would be no love in it, from either end I suppose. Is that what you all want? Do you want a heart broken princess who lost the only true love she ever had? Take her away from her home, her family? It's not fair from where I stand to give us so little choice between arranged marriage and war."

"War?" The two asked in total confusion, looking at each other. "Whatever do you mean war? I wrote of no such thing, did you Eliza?"

"No never! I put all that behind me. This is utterly confounding, I re-read that letter before we sent it out and watched you write it. I specifically recall every word you wrote and none of it mentioned war."

"So... then there's no threat...?" Sofia hopefully inquired, holding her bated breath.

"Nonsense! We wouldn't do such a horrid thing to such a prestigious kingdom, especially one that housed you. Now I'm just befuddled by all this mess. There must be some sort of trickery at play, perhaps one of our enemies got a hold of the letter and swapped it without the messenger even knowing but who and when and how? Not only that but our handwriting is very distinct, King Roland knows it by now. Whoever forged it must have forged it so well it appeared to be the real deal," The king explained, stroking his beard and mustache in worry, his brow wrinkling. "And they'd have to already be in the castle or something to have gotten the letter so quickly. We must investigate the messenger. My lady Sofia, who was it that gave you the scroll?"

"Oh my father mentioned his name... I believe it was Reginald."

"There's no such messenger named that in my kingdom. The only person named that is..." He paused, drained of color, then suddenly turned red but not due to blush but due to anger. Sofia was unsure of what was going on right now. It appeared something treacherous was going on here but all that mattered was the king and queen had no reason or want to invade Enchancia. That was enough to settle her some but she wondered if then it was all over or if they still expected her to marry Prince Lucas. She had told them of her story, she hoped on everything she knew, every pure and just thing in the world, that they would understand and leave the matter alone. The king roared for his guards to fetch Reginald immediately and it didn't take long for the well managed armored men to find the culprit. He was not dressed at all like a messenger or a servant. He wore a crown and a robe of that same rich red with the same unusual grey eyes of the king.

"What is the meaning of all this?! Let me go! What madness has gotten into you, Bernard?!"

"Into me you say? Ha! No such thing. I have gotten word that a letter reached Enchancia, delivered by hand to King Roland himself by a messenger carrying your name add to that it was written in my handwriting something you would be able to easily copy. Explain yourself this instance!"

The man shot a look at Sofia, an aggressive sort of look with nothing but disdain for her on his face then gave a similar look to the king who Sofia knew now was his brother. "You went soft, all of you! Long ago they attacked our country without warning and we struggled to defend ourselves. Years later you want to act like it never happened! Well no more! Yes, I wrote the scroll because I was sick and tired of lazing about watching these people get away with what they did to our forefathers. I knew they wouldn't give up their _precious _princess so easily. They'd have no choice and I wasn't about to give them one. On top of that the recent king married a peasant and adopted her peasant daughter. It's sickening. I can't believe you would try to marry her to Lucas...She taints the very tiara she wears."

Her hand lifted to it and took it off her head. It was her normal tiara, the one in purple that she used to wear, she had worn it for simplicity sake at the village today. It meant a lot to her; it had adorned her hair since she started her adventure as a princess and had stayed there through every step until its replacement. Yet she tossed it towards him as if it was nothing.

"A princess is not judged on the tiara she wears or how lovely her gown or even where she came from, but by the way she acts towards others, the lessons she has learned and applied, and the deeds she has done. I have gotten a lot of people assuming so little of me because of what I am- whether that be a princess now, a villager before or just a girl and all of them were wrong. I'm more than that. I'm a princess and a villager, a protector, a story keeper, a flying derby champion, an apprentice magician, a friend to dragons and merfolk and all manner of life. I am a girl and a woman. I am Sofia the first whether I wear that crown or not and I have done enough in my life to prove that."

"Well said your ladyship," The queen complimented, in that moment in awe and respect of the young woman that stood before her, no crown, a simple dress, low heeled shoes, and no makeup but even if she wore a peasant frock covered in patchwork stitches and dust anyone could see she was a true princess and would make a remarkable queen. She ordered the traitor be locked away in the dungeon, him crying out that this wasn't going to be the last they heard of him, leaving the three of them alone again with the real truth of the matter at hand. Now that all was revealed what would become of her?

"Come closer, my child," The queen beckoned and though both knew she was no child Sofia also knew it was just a term of endearment. Sofia did as she was told, bowing her head before them but she was told not to do so, as she had stated she was worthy of holding her head high. "In the real letter we wrote we asked if you could marry our son but it wasn't a firm thing, we would never force it. Had we known you had an intended, we would not have bothered. Truly we do want to connect the kingdoms but there are other ways."

"You mean... I don't have to marry anyone?"

"Only who you want to," Bernard gently stated. "Though I'd like to know who is so lucky to have caught your eye. I've heard on the wind that you are an extraordinary young lady and not many seem to meet your fancy. It can't be an ordinary prince."

"No he's not a prince at all. Actually he's not nobility in the slightest. You may know him; he goes by Cedric the Sensational."

"You mean the...wizard?"

Sofia nodded enthusiastically at the question proposed to her by the curious king, undaunted by what they might think of her. They had no say in her life, only she did and as long as they had nothing too bad to say she didn't care.

"I was always drawn to magic since I was very young and of course I was very drawn to him. He's been everything for me. He taught me magic, he's so devoted and kind and oh he's just perfect really. I can't say enough good things about him."

"That makes sense then," Eliza, nodding at nothing, understood. "You see Sofia we had thought you might be marrying our son and so we did a little digging into your family history. It took some time but we found out you have some magical members of your far gone family, some of which were very successful and one was even an enchantress."

Sofia blinked rapidly and studied the hands that had waved a wand so many times with ease. She was shocked but it made total sense. She was able to handle it far better than any other in her class, getting the hang of it quicker, remembering spells easier, conquering a broom, and of course her love for wizardry. It was only natural that the magic deep within her would spark around Cedric, the very first magic person she had met. There was another sort of magic at play besides the magic of true love, something deeper that Sofia would not come to understand fully until later.


	22. Chapter 22

Hearing the confirmation that there was no need for alarm and that she was free made Sofia ecstatic. It showed all over her face as her grin widened knowing her people were safe and that she could marry whom she saw fit. The queen and king of Brightland felt terrible that the young woman had to come to them in such a state, thinking they were some kind of tyrants, and invited her family over for dinner, including Cedric. That made her even happier than before given that he wasn't personally invited to anything by anyone else besides her. They were courteous enough to take her back home in the most luxurious flying coach they could manage to find and they left Minimus in the stables there. They assured her since she would be back anyways it was best to let him rest and that he'd be given the finest treatment befitting a noble steed, including a thorough cleaning and lots of fresh oats and hay. Inside the carriage Sofia was given a small tray of expensive candies, all brightly wrapped, and though she adored sweets it was too much for her to eat and she didn't want to spoil supper.

She asked politely if she could bag them up and give them away and the rulers were more than happy to let her do that. She was trying to get a bit of caramel toffee off of her fingers when she noticed they were starting to descend upon her home. She could see her father was out in the courtyard pacing worriedly, most likely he had been waiting for her to come home with the news. Her mother wasn't that far away and Sofia just knew that the rest of her family was nearby so when she landed, she wasn't all too surprised Amber and James came hurrying out of the front door. No one had expected her to be coming home in a flying coach and when they first saw it, they had begun to worry but when she got out of it smiling their spirits were lifted. Following behind her was King Bernard and his wife, both of which were given a traditional warm royal greeting by all. Amber's curtsy was impeccable.

"Welcome to our kingdom, your majesties," they all announced, waiting for the explanation as to why they were here.

"King Roland, Queen Miranda, a pleasure. Ah and Lady Amber, how beautiful you have grown. Sir James, you look just like your father, right down to his smile," The queen kindly praised, passing her gaze from each person. "You all should feel very proud of Sofia. It took a brave heart to come here thinking what she thought of us but if she hadn't believed in herself, if she hadn't have known in her heart something was wrong then we would have all been in grave danger."

Her family all listened as it was described to them just what was truly going on and how through Sofia's intuition and fearlessness they were able to unmask a villain lurking inside their castle. Roland had thought about how he almost stopped her from going and what would have happened if he had decided, horrible as it was, to go through with war of all things or if the sneaky devil Reginald had secretly instructed the soldiers to be on the move. Sofia just knew, somehow, she knew, that this was the right option for her. Something in her told her so.

He wasn't sure what it was or how or even why Sofia had this uncanny knack for fixing even the gloomiest of circumstances but she did and he told himself that he would doubt her a lot less from now on. Sofia was not a volunteer for any of these tasks at hand, she was always chosen. Sofia was special, he knew that the moment he met her and she touched every heart she came across, one specific heart she had changed was inside the person who was now outside as well. Cedric was not taken aback by the fact that she had managed this but he was taken aback by the fact that the two royals shook his hand. The king of Brightland himself showed the most interest.

"A pleasure to meet you at last! The whole ride Sofia entertained us with stories of your amazing voyages and accomplishments. I must say we are thoroughly impressed with your skill and character and a bit bitter about the fact that you aren't OUR royal sorcerer. Roland you ought to count yourself lucky to have such a first rate magician at your disposal. He truly lives up to his father's name."

Cedric's cheeks turned dark pink at the compliment that he had waited so long to hear and had only heard from very very few, one being his mother, another being Sofia. Outside of those two who were always his only fans when he first started, he had heard it from no other. As Sofia spread more news about him the idea of him being some clown who could scarcely cast a spell without it misfiring disappeared. Now he had a large portrait hanging up in a fine wizarding school for all to look upon and find inspiration. Now his name was said with respect and admiration even amongst other magic users. To hear after all these years of living in his father's long shadow that he was at least up to par with if not the same as his father made Cedric's eyes wet. He had to wipe his face off hurriedly but Sofia saw and came close to him, leaning her head on his arm and smiling sweetly.

Roland looked at the man standing there exuding pride and joy with his own pride and joy, Sofia, right on his arm. They just...fit. His decision on what to do about that proposal was becoming clear but right now was not the time for discussing such matters but soon he swore he would. When they heard they were all invited to dinner the reaction Amber had was to fuss about getting ready and looking her best while Cedric seemed stunned. To eat with the royal family was a rare thing, only done around the holidays or Sofia's birthday and rarely ever at the actual table. He was flabbergasted. He, a simple wizard, sit beside nobles? He really should get used to it though if he did intend to marry Sofia and he certainly did. He thought of Sofia's own way of viewing the world and her confidence in the fact that things no matter how bleak would turn out alright.

He wanted to believe it and so he did, he believed in their love so he no longer troubled himself on IF Roland would say yes. He was excited to hear WHEN he would say yes. Cedric liked to daydream about that special day, imagining Sofia becoming his little wife. When she barged into his tower and into his life, he thought she was annoying, somehow charming and adorable too but annoying. Yet when she called him her friend, warmed his heart, melted his cold exterior and hugged him he started to recognize her importance to him. It didn't take long for him to realize he no longer truly cared for the amulet but for the wearer. Now he was going to have her, she would carry his last name, and perhaps, wonderfully one day carry a child of his. Thank goodness his mother could at last stop pestering him. He could assure her that her son would in fact have grandchildren for her to spoil after all.

The entire family readied themselves to head over to Brightland for dinner with Cedric dressed as nicely as could be. Sofia had taken to wearing a peach and baby pink colored dress. In Cedric's own mind he thought she looked like a tall glass of sparkling rosé. They had a carriage all to themselves surprisingly enough but it was relief because it would have been awkward and cramped with everyone in there. Minerva was even allowed to come and she sat perched next to the carriage driver because she wanted to enjoy the fresh air. That was fine with them both as they cuddled close together and shared small kisses. As they exited and went into the castle it was easy to tell that everything was set up beautifully just for their arrival.

There was golden cutlery, plates, candelabras, and chalices. Everyone sat down and awaited their meal, admiring the décor and the many gilded paintings. There was an appetizer of thinly sliced fish on toast with soup on the side and for dinner an exquisite roast pork with vegetables. Throughout the meal everyone exchanged stories, jokes, and answered questions. The banquet hall was filled with laughter and voices all talking together. It didn't take long for Cedric to become accustomed to being there at the royal table and include himself in conversation. Everyone seemed to agree with things he said and enjoy whatever he said too, even laughing whenever he boldly decided to say something funny. They were all given water and wine, both refilled whenever the glass was barely half full.

There were fruit juices as well of which Sofia greatly enjoyed because of how fresh and sweet they were. When desert came around, she was thoroughly enjoying how cute the display was. Each of the pastries and confections were on what looked like a carousel minus the horses and it spun. She loved it so much that she couldn't stop looking at it and spinning it slowly. She imagined it full of cute tiny horses all moving in tune with calliope music. With their stomachs full of delicious food and hot cocoa they would have easily been able to go home and sleep but the queen and king invited them to stay in their castle for the night.

They had several guest rooms all of which were fit for royalty and that way they wouldn't have to travel a full hour and then some in the dead of night. It sounded like an offer none of them were willing to refuse and it was incredibly kind of the queen and king to open up their home so they all agreed to it. Amber was given her own room as did James. Miranda and Roland were put in a grand suite and Sofia had a room that seemed like it was made for her as it was doused in lavenders and shades of pink. There were roses everywhere whether in printing on the wallpaper, framed on the wall, or molded around the mirror. Minerva slept outside, naturally.

Cedric had to admit he was shaken to know they had arranged for he and Sofia to share a room and he wondered if Sofia's parents were aware of this. He gathered they had no clue which made this seem perhaps inappropriate. He should bring it up to them that he could have his own room, he was fine with that, and that if the king found out more so than any other it would ruin things but he spoke nothing. He would be lying if he were to say he didn't miss Sofia sleeping next to him and even though this was not his best or brightest moment and it could turn horribly wrong he didn't think he could deny this. Besides it was rude to be given such accommodations by the monarchs and say no to it. At least this is what he told himself to justify the fact that he was now sitting on a bed awaiting Sofia while she bathed. She didn't even lock or close the door at all, in fact she peeked her head of wet hair out from the bathtub to look at him.

"What?" He asked with humor, amused by the brunette's playfulness.

"There are so many bubbles!" She excitedly squealed, blowing some bubbles towards him. One floated directly to his face and he popped it which made her giggle.

"That suits you since you have a bubbly personality."

She smiled brightly at him then ducked back into the water. He could hear her singing happily and splashing about. He liked to think this is what their life was going to be like and he was in love with the idea of having this beautiful pixie around his tower, making him laugh, brightening his life, dancing merrily with a broom in hand as she swept around the place. He couldn't wait for it, to have his workshop all filled up with her giggles, to open his closet and see a select few purple dresses, and to have her wand sitting right next to his. She was all dressed for bed with whitish pink slippers on, towel drying her hair. They must love roses here or at least themed this room extensively to it because even her night dress that she was given to wear had big magenta colored roses all over it. Sofia crawled into the bed with him and pulled him down, hugging him to her like a stuffed animal.

"Feeling extra affectionate, dearest?"

"I'm always feeling that way with you. Whenever I see you I just have to hug you," She expressed with a tighter hug. He returned it then pulled the covers over her. As he reached to turn off the light, he felt her kiss his cheek. He could still see her face in the dim lighting, she looked so happy just to be around him and that made his heart want to explode with joy. He assumed it might actually implode the day of their inevitable wedding.

"You're too perfect. I really don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Why do you think like that, Cedric? Everyone deserves love."

"Even awful evil wizards?"

"Especially them!" She exclaimed with a little chuckle.

"You're precious. Really... it doesn't matter what you say... I am fortunate beyond belief to have you. You are everything I have ever wanted in a woman. It's like you were made just for me."

He knew he promised not to do too much with her that was inordinate but he had to kiss her and not just a quick small kiss. Sofia didn't seem to mind or care and as of right now he didn't either. He might feel guilty for it tomorrow but it was difficult for him to stop and think about it. He truly couldn't get enough of her and her need of him, her love for him. It's what he craved beyond all else so to limit that was hard. Not impossible but hard and right now with her there, feeling so soft and warm, he couldn't help himself. As long as he didn't go further he felt it wasn't an entire betrayal of his promise...even though in truth he really shouldn't be sleeping next to her.

He watched her curl up in his arms and fall fast asleep, occasionally nuzzling into his chest and breathing deeply. He knew that it would be best if he just left her room right now but she whispered his name in her sleep and that was the end of that thought process. When he awoke, she was no longer in his arms but she was sitting at the vanity, brushing through her hair. He was contended to just watch her. Something was incredibly soothing about it all, maybe it was because it was just another peak into the close future. He could easily picture her before his elongated mirror readying herself as she was now. She didn't notice he was awake until he crept behind her and kissed her cheek.

"Oh! Good morning Cedric. Sleep well?"

"I always do when you're next to me."

"Aww... do you sleep poorly otherwise?" She questioned with a pout.

"To be entirely honest, yes. Often I barely sleep or just forgo it but you know a sorcerer must always be at the ready for their kingdom."

"So that's why you were always so cranky..." Sofia mused, placing her finger towards her lip in consideration.

"Noticed, did you? And I was soooo good at hiding it," He sarcastically remarked with a smirk.

"Hmm...and I was always such a pest, wasn't I? I'm sorry I bothered you so much...actually...I still bother you..."

"Sofia, please. I practically begged for the sweet release of you visiting me. I never realized how alone I was until you came along... so don't apologize, sweetheart. I enjoy being bothered by you, a hell of a lot."

Sofia beamed at that, knowing now that she was no bother to him and that he secretly always liked her dropping by. "Then I'll never stop."

"I'm counting on you not to," He remarked with a wink, kissing her hand right on her ring finger. He couldn't wait to place the ring he worked so hard on making right onto it. Later on they were all summoned as the gracious kind and queen of Brightland had breakfast waiting for everyone. No one seemed to at all notice or mention or ask about where Cedric had slept but as he drank deeply from the orange flavored beverage, he noticed a little nod from Bernard with a sly sort of face.

It was as if he knew it was intended to be a secret that he would not spill. For whatever reason these people he had never met were willing to allow him the pure bliss of being in closed quarters with Sofia even knowing it was sort of against the rules. He wished he could thank them deeply for that and yet at the same time he wondered why they even bothered at all. Whatever the case he was grateful to them and would find some way to repay them for all their kindness. The entire royal family looked fresh faced with Amber saying she had a full mini spa bathroom, plush robes, and the vanity was well stocked with fancy Parisian makeups. For everyone else it was the same, they were given every accommodation and the rooms were picked to suit them with James having a room wallpapered with old styled images of the knights of the round table.

When breakfast was over, they all went right back home including Minimus who flew beside them. Roland set up a date when they could have a proper meeting to conjoin their kingdoms. It had to be settled after Ambers up and coming birthday party to which they were invited. With everything that was happening she barely had time to organize it as much as she wanted so when they got home she grasped Sofia by the wrist, claiming she needed the help of her trusted adviser, and the two went on their way to make sure her birthday was flawless. James was glad he wasn't dragged along. He just knew though that Amber, being her competitive self, might want to get married before anyone else or at least before Sofia which seemed likely given how long it was taking his father to decide. He was just thankful there was not going to be a big battle and that all was resolved.

Everything around the castle was calm, a hectic sort of calm because everything was organized chaos. For Amber her birthday was always a huge deal and as she always proclaimed bigger is better so every year it got more and more showy. This year she wanted it to be very glamorous and she just had to have the trendiest most dazzling most fabulous dress ever. She also required a new tiara, it was necessary. Her tailors, the decorators, the staff, the caterers, the cooks, everyone was in overdrive. Thankfully the always levelheaded Baileywick and rational Sofia were there to keep things in order. It was obvious she wanted to blow Hildegard's engagement party out of the water. It was friendly competition and at the end of the day the girls still loved each other but since they were four they were always competing to see who could have the best things.

Unfortunately Amber was aware that this meant nothing, her best friend's wedding was going to outdo her birthday tenfold but no matter she would make absolutely sure Sofia's was superb. She adored her little sister but she was a bit envious of her man's dedication to her, that he was so ready and willing to face the fires of her father and any potential disapproval for her. She started wondering if Axel was ready for that kind of commitment. They had talked about it briefly a couple of times, especially after hearing about Hildegard, but he seemed unsure. Cedric on the other hand wanted and adored Sofia so much he couldn't wait. She was jealous of her sister in a way because that man was her slave even if Sofia was too kindhearted and good natured to understand that.

When the evening of her birthday came Amber had chosen an absolutely stunning ball gown with not one not two but five layers of fabric arranged in such a way that she looked like the sun. She requested Sofia wear something in green-blue so she did, she wore an aquamarine dress with the seashell tiara Amber loved on her. She was going with the theme of the four elements with Sofia representing water and herself representing earth. So far that theming was crazy around the entire castle, one could get lost looking at each individual detail but that was Amber's style and Sofia didn't mind as long as her sister was happy. She was enjoying the party, listening to the music as she helped herself to some snacks, when she noticed her amulet glowing blue.

What a time for the library to call her but thankfully Amber and her family were so busy they wouldn't even notice if she was gone. Plus they knew she had a lot of things she couldn't leave hanging, so many people depended on her and she would not let them down. Besides even if she wanted to ignore it just for today it seemed the library was not going to take no for an answer. It was glowing so hard and brightly that she had to cover it within her enclosed palm but even then, through the cracks of fingers there were beams of blue. She had never seen it do this before, call her so urgently, so she slowly backed away from the party but as soon as she was out of sight she started to run. She hoped no one was hurt or in severe trouble but given how much it was glowing it had to be important.

She rushed her way over there, quick as a flash, and when she arrived she expected there to be a book gliding down to greet her and alert her of the story she needed to complete but no such thing. Instead the portal that usually showcased the stories was glowing just as much as her amulet and her amulet was seemingly leading her towards it so that's where she went. When she got closer an apparition appeared in the portal and she recognized it as the wizard who created the library. She had not seen him since she was here on her graduation from Royal Prep and he seemed less physical than before, like a ghost. She sat down upon the little plush bench and waited, curious as to him being there and as to why there was no book for her.

"Hello Sofia, how lovely to see you. I'm terribly sorry if I've called you away at a bad time but I would not have done so without good reason. I'm sure you recall that it was I who built this library and that it is connected to your amulet but there is so much more to it. If I went into the entire history of it all we'd be here for at least a week straight and that's just not possible for you. Sofia, did you know you come from magic? It's buried in your past but it is there, surely."

"Yes I know that now. I guess over time it got spread thinner because I'm not considered a sorceress or a witch."

"That is true. You are just a person with incredible magic skill passed down to you from your elders. My point being is that the amulet chose someone of not only royal standing but someone with magic inclination. It was searching for you, weeding out people, going to different places. It wanted to find someone pure enough and strong enough to protect the Ever Realm, someone bold and true, who loved animals, adventure, her people, and put her own morals above anything. When Elena gave it up to you it was because she knew the true owner, the rightful owner, was you, the only one who could free her, the only one who would surpass all others and keep everyone and everything safe. Besides which Elena had her staff she had no need of the amulet. Thus far you are the princess who has received the most powers and done the most with it."

"So why didn't it stay with my aunt Tilly? She has all of those qualities and nobody would wonder about her traveling so much. Was she getting too old...?"

"Oh no not at all. It wasn't her choice. Once the king married your mother and you became a princess that's when the amulet sensed your presence. It had found its new mistress, the one who the amulet truly belonged to. Sofia, it is no accident that the amulet chose you and not Amber or stayed with your aunt or even kept quiet until someone else came along. A young priestess with immense magical powers used a crystal from the isle of crystals to make the amulet. Her name was Aelina and you, Sofia, are her distant relative."

"...Really? You mean I'm related to the person who made my amulet?"

He nodded a bit solemnly but still kept a kind face. "And that is not all, Princess Sofia. I made this library and kept its stories because I believed everyone should have a happy ending. I was not only the first story keeper but I was one of the first royal sorcerers. This was a long time ago you see; I doubt there's much record of me unless you look far back. As someone with magical blood I could have lived a long life but I put my spirit into this place so that others could continue my work. You have not yet asked though why it is that my library and your amulet are even connected."

Sofia held her still blue amulet and thought about it for a while. The library really had nothing to do with the amulet, it seemed to be its own separate entity and there was no such thing as a male wizard keeping the amulet. It only protected princesses or maidens of virtue and nobility. Long ago there really weren't such things as princesses so the priestess counted as one, she must have been the daughter of a great chief. That all made sense but this didn't. Now her curiosity was peaked, she always did want to know more about her amulet, about all its secrets, its powers, and the reasons it seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Would you please tell me? I own the amulet and yet there is so much I don't know about it. Truthfully without Cedric I'm not even sure I'd know much of anything."

"Ah yes...of course. Have you heard the saying everything happens for a reason? Well it's one that applies to your life even if everything is accidental. Enchancia was named so because it was a hub for magic users, they have the greatest supply there if you've noticed and churn out some of the finest. The very castle you are in has so much magic flowing from it and built in it, most of which were by me or those that came after. Anyhow, a long time ago we sorcerers all knew about the amulet and sought to find it for greedy purposes. It traveled to far away lands being traded, fought over, sold, tossed between families until it was that it ended up in the hands of Princess Charlotte's family. It stayed within their family for a long time, seen as nothing but a jewel but I knew better. However since none of them were worthy the amulet bestowed no gifts unto them and Elena stayed dormant. I was growing old and knew my work had to be continued by someone. I tried to pass it onto my children but none wanted to take it.

I knew the fate of that amulet rested within a princess who could prove herself and that it would be given to her one day. That's when I tied my spirit to the library and using my most powerful magic was able to transfer my essence to the amulet so that when the time came a princess would be the one to do my life's work. I had no other choice, my family would not undertake it, so I had to rely on the royal family that I had come to love and trust, knowing it might end up there with one of them. It took a long time for my theory to be proven right but your aunt was a perfect candidate, someone who longed for purpose and had a real zest for life but also cared deeply for others. When you came to be a princess, it chose you and you have done well. You have earnestly desired to give everyone a befitting end..."

He was explaining this deeply with a rich voice, smiling wistfully at her. He looked upwards at the library walls lined with books of all shapes, colors, and sizes. "This place holds many stories and it seems my own can finally rest. My lineage will after all end up being the one to protect this library."

"What do you mean, sir? I'm not related to you too, am I?"

"Not by blood and not yet but you will be for you see, I'm Cedric's ancestor. I told you everything does happen for a reason, Sofia, and soon now you can finally give a happy ending to someone who needs it," He spoke this as he handed her a deep plum colored book with yellow writing. In shiny metallic yellow words it read; The Tale of Cedric the Sorcerer. She held it in her hands feeling some heat emanating from it as she slowly came to grips with all that was being told to her.

She had signed up for this job without knowing what she was doing, she had been chosen by the amulet without knowing why, she became a protector not understanding the reason she was chosen. She just knew people needed her help and she gave it. Day by day, little by little, without her even knowing, without her even being summoned, before she even knew about the library, she was completing a story. The book waited there in the library, the owner knowing it needed not tell her or else the story would not end the way it needed to. The amulet brought them closer together she knew that at least, the library held the book that she was meant to finish, his book, their book. It was funny that was the gift she was given the last Wassalia by Cedric, a book filled with their adventures.

He hadn't a clue and neither had she that there was a real one and that she was the epicenter of it all. She thought about how he said she was made for him and she knew such things as fate did exist. She was a child who came from the very first princess who used the amulet and he was a child who came from the creator of her secret library. She held her amulet and the book and they seemed to want to touch one another, signifying their deep connection. There were so many mysteries to unlock within the castle that even the book she was given by her aunt didn't tell. If not for this knowledge Sofia would have been in the dark about everything. She was glad that everyone trusted her to know these things and now that she did know them, she was all the more glad that she understood the truth.

The world was a strange place full of magic not even Merlin could understand. Whether it was fate, chance, or luck it didn't matter somehow some way she had gotten to Cedric's side. Her fingers stroked delicately along the wording, tracing each letter then she stroked upon the spine which caused the book to tumble open. She flipped through it with supreme fascination and love for the person it was about, seeing him as a small adorable child and then as a curly haired teenager. She had never known him to try different hairstyles, it was interesting to see. Her hand caressed the images of him displayed within the pages and smiled sadly whenever it was talking about the troubles he went through.

"This means we are meant to be, just like I always felt," She sighed romantically, pressing the book against her chest. "Oh I wish I could keep this."

"You can always come here and reread it whenever you want. You could even bring him, if you wish."

"Thank you...for everything. This just adds another layer to our relationship and it really shows me that no matter how hopeless my endeavors to have him seemed that they weren't in vain. It's... just so nice to know that... I'm his happily ever after."

Sofia pressed her palm under her eye as she was beginning to become emotional but in a good way. It was strange how she never really cried much as a child but as she grew up, she started to do so more. She gave the book one more glance over and let it float back to where it belonged. She took notice that it seemed to reside right next to hers, very snuggled up to it in fact. Even the books wanted so much to be together. It made her miss him terribly, as he wasn't at the party. Not that he wasn't allowed or invited, actually Amber told him personally if he wanted to come he was always welcomed. He had to work though, potions to make, spell books to read, tinkering to do and the like. After parting from the library, giving her farewells, she figured she'd drop by just to check up on him. She was already gone from the party, what was the harm of being gone just a bit longer?

When she raised her hand to knock, she paused, now feeling remorseful about leaving for so long. She did want to see him, it was an ache in her after reading about him, but she could see him anytime. Amber's sixteenth was only once. She magicked up a piece of paper with writing on it, written in her font with her favorite color, and slid it next to his door then knocked and ran. He knew her knock like he knew his own heartbeat so he was wondering why she was visiting at all. Perhaps to give him a piece of cake? That seemed like something she'd do. However when he enthusiastically opened the door, hoping to find his lovely beloved on the other side, he was greeted with a note instead. He picked it up, recognized the handwriting, and read it.

_I hope you are having fun of your own in there. Don't work too hard! Meet me later, my room, after the party ends. I'll be waiting to hear all about what you are working on. All my love, Sofia. _

That instantly made his mood all the better. He added that note to his pile of things written to him by her. He couldn't wait to fill her little ears about everything and see her light up the way she did that always beguiled him. He also knew when he got there, he'd be getting the affection he had been longing for all day and night. Despite their closeness he rarely ever went into her room, only seeing it less than a handful of times. When the night got on and everyone went home he made his way to her bedroom and before he even announced himself she opened the door, claiming to have heard his footsteps. As to how she knew they were his she gave him a look as if that was a silly question. She pulled him into her room and they spent a long time just talking. Nothing more. Sofia kept gazing adoringly at him, the stars in her eyes shamed the ones in the sky. She got lost in his words with a dreamy expression as she buried her nose into his robe.

"You've always smelled so good," she admitted, breathing in deeply.

"Oh? And what do I smell like exactly?"

"Like...magic. You have tree scents like fir needles and oak wood, there's also something very smoky and a kind of old attic smell that I really like, sort of peppery I guess and also the smell after it rains. It's...ahhh."

"I think I'm falling in love with you even more just for saying that. Girls used to say I smelled like and looked like an old man."

Her mouth turned into a deep frown and she almost looked mad. "Why were people so mean to you?"

Cedric shrugged. "I was used to it so when you started being nice to me it was...confusing. How could someone like me at all? I never knew there was any real good in this world until I met you... I thought that deep down everyone was just as evil and as twisted as I made myself out to be and that redemption was impossible."

"Oh Cedric..."

She held him, sitting almost in his lap with her head tucked neatly under his chin. He really did need her, all this time he needed her, and he had to wait until she was born to receive the care and love denied from him. For over twenty years he suffered, his story remaining incomplete until that crown dropped onto her head. Then everything was set in motion. She wondered if Elena knew anything, since she was so tied with the amulet and therefor somehow with the library. Perhaps it was just another reason she was getting his attention with her sparkle. Elena would keep that little tidbit a secret because she would want this to happen naturally without any interruption. If Sofia knew beforehand it would make things very odd and strained. No. Love needed time, it needed patience, it needed understanding, and it needed to happen on its own and it did.

Her aunt Tilly could have known too, if it was even told to her, and that's why she was so certain Cedric liked Sofia. That might have also been why she just knew without being told Sofia was in love with Cedric. It seemed likely. How else had she guessed? It wasn't like her mother who had been around Sofia enough to notice these things, she just up and already knew it all and Tilly was one who was full of secrets and mysteries. It didn't matter to her who was informed or who was aware, no one had pushed her into anything, she had loved him all on her own, of her own volition, and he was the same. Now she could continue to love him, to defend him, to go to far off lands with him, to live with him, nurture him, teach and learn from him and one day when that ring was finally on her finger she would speak those two words she felt she had waited all her life to say to him. Then they'd be able to close the final chapter to his book but open a new one in their life.


	23. Chapter 23

It was in the early morning when Sofia was trying to rescue a cat from the very tops of the castle. It had all started when she was in the music room with her sister who was playing the harp, her favorite instrument because of how elegant it was. Sofia was on violin though she could play just about anything if given time. Amber thought it was very cultured for a young lady to know how to play music, for entertainment purposes of course, and so she tried to get in some early practice. Over the noise it would have been hard to hear much else that was until James came in, claiming he wanted to join. Amber claimed he would just make a lot of noise and not anything that actually counted as music. As they were arguing Sofia heard it- frantic mewling.

She stopped her playing and asked if they heard that but they weren't exactly paying attention. So she excused herself leaving them to their sibling quarrel. As she went outside she could hear it more clearly, it was certainly a cat but it sounded so high above her. When she looked up she could see a small slightly moving mass of fur meowing for help. She wasn't even sure how it even got there and how it couldn't get down but it was in peril and needed her. Flying up to the topmost roofs with her trusted horse had only gotten her so close but she had to make a leap of faith. Now she was clambering onto the bricks and tiles of the walls, using the arches and pillars for support. One slip and she would fall so many feet that she'd suffer a broken bone or three. It was worth it to her, the poor cat was frightened half to death. Actually it was a kitten which made things worse. From way up there the wind was working against her, blowing so hard that it was making it even more difficult to stay steady.

"Come here kitty kitty," Sofia called, beckoning the small fluffy thing to her. It could understand her clear as day but as soon as it made a move the stones crumbled and the young feline scurried back to its hiding place.

"I...I I ca-can't do it! I'll... I'll f-f-fall!" the little kitten terrifyingly cried, shivering.

Sofia sought to calm it down by talking with it, hoping that might ease her. "It will be okay, I promise. My name is Sofia, what's your name?"

"I d-don't think I have one..."

"Didn't your owner name you?"

"O-owner...? What's that...?"

Sofia's frown deepened. It appeared the cat had no name because it was a stray which should have been evident by its unkempt fur. All the scuffling about and little pebbles from the bricks falling off the roof would have been enough to alert Cedric, who was trying to perfect a spell that would find lost things, but he distinctly heard Sofia's voice. He was used to hearing her outside but something felt wrong so he looked out the window. To the left he saw nothing but to his right he let out a sharp cry of distress seeing Sofia standing precariously upon a pillar on her tip toes. He didn't even note what she was reaching for or anything, just the fact that she was there was enough to stress him out. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out to her.

"Sofia what in the name of Merlin's beard are you doing?!"

She turned her head towards him and pointed towards the trembling kitten. "Trying to get her down. Could you help me, please?"

His face went a little flat now seeing it was an animal she was risking life and limb for. He should have known. Cedric rolled up his sleeves and using his wand made a sturdy bridge connecting his window to where she was. He walked along it towards her, mumbling under his breath about the situations he put himself in for her sake. When he got to her side he had his hands on his hips and gave the literal scaredy cat a once over then gave Sofia a stern look. She smiled indulgently and he grumbled again, knowing she wanted him to get the furry feline for her since he was so much taller and could reach it. Sighing in defeat he reached upwards and tried to put on his best friendly voice so as not to scare it further. Sofia explained to the kitten that he was trustworthy and that seemed to help.

The kitten moved ever so slightly and that was enough for Cedric to grab it but he didn't hold the scruffy thing for long, he placed it in Sofia's arms immediately. He wasn't much for furry little pets, they just weren't his thing. He much preferred the company of the flying feathered sort. Plus it was filthy and shed fur all over his robes. Sofia didn't seem to mind any of this as she carefully bundled it against her chest, shielding its eyes so it wouldn't have to see the ground, and began cheerfully walking back towards his window. Cedric followed after trying to rid his coat of cat fur and saying something about how it was way too early for all of this mess.

Indeed he had just woken up not too long ago but leave it to his beloved to be up at the crack of dawn trying to save the world and all the animals in it. She hopped into his workshop and started looking about for something to wrap the kitten in to keep it warm. Soon after she was joined by Cedric who made the bridge disappear and closed his window so the draft wouldn't be let in. She was coddling the now covered up kitten, all warm and snuggled up in Cedric's throw blanket. She was nuzzling up against it even though it was not clean in the slightest, cooing over the small thing, calling it adorable and sweet. Cedric sourly crossed his arms.

"And where's my thanks, I'd like to know?"

Sofia seemingly ignored him, moving about the room with her newfound companion in her arms. She made sure the kitten understood that Minerva, who was sitting on her perch amused, was no harm to it. Minerva kindly welcomed her into the workshop, sounding to Cedric only like a soft hoot. Sofia was now rifling through his drawers which given his height were a bit hard for her to reach. She smartly used her little stool and got what she was after, a small bowl. She passed it over to him asking him to fill it with warm water.

"For what, exactly?"

"I'm sure she's thirsty. Aren't you girl?"

"She is not going to drink out of my fine china."

"Cedric please? Just for right now?"

"Oh...fine," he groaned, doing as she asked then placing the bowl down on the ground, still upset that she was paying more attention to the mangy animal than him. The kitten was indeed very thirsty and lapped at the water endlessly, purring gently.

"She's probably hungry too..."

"Oh I suppose you want me to offer her some of my food too?"

"Would you? Then after she's all fed we can clean her up."

"It's no trouble at all," He wryly retorted, sarcasm dripping from his words but not noticed by Sofia at all. He opened up his fridge and looked upon what he had. There was a small bit of fish he had been saving for dinner but apparently the cat deserved it far more than he did. He had to use yet another piece of his chinaware to place the cold fish upon, thankfully not a whole fish but filets. The kitten ate it voraciously, her purrs getting louder.

"Aww. She's so happy!" Sofia gushed, folding her hands together.

"Glad someone is..." He gruffly muttered, yawning loudly.

Sofia kneeled down on the floor, fascinated by the little thing, her hands folded under her chin, her legs swinging in the air. She seemed beyond amused and full of adoration for it, almost as if she had never seen a cat so close in her entire life. When the kitten was done it rubbed its face against hers causing her to giggle. "Oh you're welcome! Are you ready to be cleaned up? I know cats hate water though..."

"If you clean me then I'll be okay."

Sofia picked up the kitten and placed it in the sink, her hand touching the faucet.

"And just what are you doing now?"

"I told you, cleaning her up silly. We'll need a brush too, if you don't mind."

Cedric blinked with a dry expression on his face watching her scrub off the dirt. "...Of course... it's not like any of this is my stuff or anything. By all means, take it all."

"Cedric, be a dear and hand me a towel."

She stretched out her hand which was dripping wet. He scoffed a little at being ignored yet again by her. Grumbling all the way he found a towel for her and handed it over, accepting that it was going to be dirty now. He also gave her a brush but not his own, that was not something he was going to give even if she pleaded for it. No he instead just made one, a small one, for her to use which is what she was doing now. She sung under her breath happily a song about the little kitten being so pretty.

"Oh Cedric look! She's a black cat! How spooky. That's the perfect name for you, Spooky."

"Greeeaat now that we're all acquainted could you kindly take your bad luck omen with you out of here?"

Sofia faced him with Spooky now in her arms, all dried and properly brushed. One could now see it indeed was solid black with the two biggest yellow-orange eyes and a little pink nose. It also sported the biggest ears for something so tiny. "You did such a great job today helping me out. Thank you so much. I couldn't have done it without you." She leaned up and kissed him right on the lips, but not gentle and quickly, it was deeper, longer, full of sweetness. He almost felt like purring himself just feeling that. She released his mouth and looked up at him, shyly petting the cat and blushing a soft pink. He blinked rapidly at the sudden burst of passion from her, it was like electricity running through him. Though he had kissed her a million times that action made him feel hot.

"Sofia..."

"I know what you're going to say... I shouldn't have done that... but I know how upset you were today. I thought for all your troubles you deserved something more than a simple thank you."

"No Sofia...I wasn't going to say that at all. I was...going to ask you to do it again..."

"Oh...but...should we...?"

"Well I mean...it's just one more, right? I've already broken a lot of rules by sleeping next to you not that long ago..."

"Hmm... I don't understand what's so wrong about that...or anything we do really...I enjoy it and it makes me happy... doesn't that mean it's a good thing?"

"You enjoy it, hmm?" He leaned close to her face causing her to shy away, averting her eyes from him. "Now I want to know what you mean."

"Cedric...I can't... for a lot of reasons. For one...there's a child present," She explained, nodding her head towards Spooky who was sleeping quietly in her arms, unaware of the conversation. "Who I should really think of what to do with..."

"Aren't you going to keep her?"

"I want to but I think she deserves someone who will give her undivided attention and I just can't. Also dad's terribly allergic of them so that's not going to happen. Oh I know! I'll give her to Lucinda. Witches love black cats, right?"

"That's a splendid idea, dear. You're so thoughtful," Cedric remarked, rubbing their noses together.

"I guess I should get going. Did you want to come with me? Lucinda's parents really like you."

"As they should. The idea is tempting but I've got stuff to do, spells to perfect. You know how it is."

She nodded her head understandingly. "Okay then. Have a good day," she called out as she left from out his front door, hearing the same reply back to her. Cedric closed the door and leaned up against the solid wood frame, sighing deeply.

"She's absolutely insane," he exhaled, mostly talking to himself, "but you know what... I adore her for it."

Lucinda's crookedly designed home was a small flight away from where Sofia lived and though Sofia would have preferred to go there less conventional ways, she knew Spooky was afraid of heights so she took a simple carriage there. Spooky didn't stay asleep the whole time, she began to wake up and get excited about her new potential home and asked lots of questions. Sofia answered every single one of them, assuring her that Lucinda was a great person.

Lucinda had been sitting boredly inside going over her spell books, unlike Sofia she still was attending school at Hexley Hall and she was getting her lessons drilled into her right now by an at home tutor. That tutor being her mother who kept smacking her wand on the table to get her daughter's attention because she was drifting off. She hoped it would storm, that was her favorite kind of weather. She liked it dark, cloudy, and rainy. Not the best broom flying conditions but the best frog finding conditions.

Her bad witch friend, Indigo, had tempted her with playing hooky and going out to cause trouble but she was a good witch now. She couldn't be tempted. Lily had told her that she could study with her but that would have been more boring than this, if that was possible. Lily would not give her breaks and make her study into the wee hours of the night and then if she stayed over, make her wake up super early because early to bed early to rise makes a witch beautiful and wise. That's what she said anyhow.

So Lucinda sat there almost wishing she had gone on a hex spree with Indigo. As much as that contradicted who she was now at least it was fun. Looking out the window she noticed a carriage from Enchancia pulling up to her home and she immediately bolted from out of her seat and rushed towards the door, crying out to her mom in excitement that Sofia was there. She rushed out of her home and came running full speed towards the princess, glad she had come to rescue her from a death caused by boredom. She stopped a little before hugging her seeing she had something with two orangish eyes in her arms.

"Sofia is that... a cat?"

"Yep. Sure is. Her name is Spooky and even though I really do love her I thought since you are a witch maybe you could..."

Lucinda let out a loud gasp of delight. "Yes! I'd be glad to take her!" Sofia gladly deposited Spooky into her new owners' arms who held her up and rubbed her face against her. "Oh she's adorable! I've been wanting a familiar for such a long time. Thank you, Sofia!"

"You're welcome but um...what's a familiar?"

"It's a witch thing, well actually it's a thing most magic folk have. It's sort of like a pet you have for life that stays by your side. They usually can do magic too but not always. Didn't Cedric have a raven or something?"

"Oh...yeah... not anymore though... I had no idea that he was so important..."

"They are like your best friend but hey don't look so down about it. They can be replaced and you can have more than one. Some people even share one, like my mom and dad. She's perfect Sofia. I love her already and she has the best name ever for a black cat!"

"That's what I thought. Careful with her though, she might have to adjust to flying with you. She had a bad experience with being up high recently so I'd take it one step at a time."

"Okay. Fine with me. I'm not really allowed to go too far off the ground anyways, still training to get my broom flying license. Hey um do you want to come in?"

"I'd love to."

Most of that day she spent in the company of Lucinda and her family, playing with Spooky a lot. She turned out to be a great addition to their household and Sofia was happy because the kitten deserved to be somewhere where she could be loved. Lucinda's mother adored the black cat, she was quite a fan of them and any superstitiously unlucky creature. In fact the reason Spooky would be so at home here was because there was another cat, an older female cat named Nightshade who told Sofia she would take good care of the kitten, like she was her own child. When they weren't playing with Spooky they talked and had snacks then they had a broom race. Sofia almost won but just barely.

"You know, for an amateur you are really good at that. It must be all those flying derby lessons."

"I don't know...actually...if I'm being honest I just found out that I used to have magic in my family tree. So that's most likely why."

"Whoa! That's incredible. As you can guess I do too but most of them are the bad type. Scrumulis and Blotsworth are famous dark mages in my family, they make magical artifacts for our world. They probably even made your wand, even though you use it for good."

"Oh... so you can have a wand made by bad wizards but do good things with it?"

"Yep! Let me see it actually, I could tell you who made it and what it's made of."

Sofia handed over her precious purple wand, even though it wasn't hers to begin with. It had always been Cedric's before he received his family wand and he gave her it as a gift. He had many others but this one was important, it was his from Hexley Hall as a boy, his first wand. Because it was so special, Sofia swore she'd never own another. Lucinda looked closely at it, sniffed it, then lightly bent it without breaking it. Sofia knew it was safe in her hands, a witch would never ever break a wand, even a cruel one would find it incredibly rude to do so. They'd much rather steal it than break it.

"Interesting... it seems to be oak wood, very sturdy but I also detect cherry wood. Two different kinds of wood aren't common but it can happen. I have a new friend called Juniper and hers has two different wood types too. Not too many like using different wood types and most don't care to pick up wands that have that quality. It takes a special sort of person to wield one. It's difficult to handle for most others. Strange though... cherry trees are from the orient so I almost never see a wand made out of it and it wasn't made by any negative force. Dark mages never use cherry wood."

"Why is that? Is it not good enough?"

"That's just the problem it's too good! Cherry is like...the love tree. Not that dark people can't love but it's so pure. Oak, pine, and maple are standard. Mines a birch, mom's a bloodwood. So it must have been a basic oak tree base but perhaps they ran out and used whatever was on standby to finish it. This would have been the least likely to get picked, bottom of the barrel. Two wood wands can be...wonky sometimes if in unconfident, unpracticed hands but you don't have that problem and both tree types align with you well. I guess you must be right, even though everyone can use a wand and learn magic only truly magical people can wield this."

"Wow...I had no idea so much went into all this...so the more confident you are the better it works?"

She nodded her head yes, still inspecting the wand. Sofia thought back to the fact that this wand used to belong to a person who was not at all confident and that's why a lot of the spells went wrong and why he so often complained that his wand was faulty. The same thing went for her, once she practiced and had confidence, she could use the mutato spells correctly. She wondered what the family wand was made of, it must be extraordinarily powerful stuff. Lucinda seemed to know a lot more about magic than Sofia would like to. Perhaps Cedric knew these things too. She would love to just spend all day and night in his tower learning all there was about this mystical hidden world of magic.

"Your wand has a feather as its core but it's hard to tell what kind. A hawk maybe? No it would be something way more magical. Perhaps a griffon feather? Yes! That's it a griffon feather!"

"That's really neat because we have a family of griffons in our castle. They guard the royal treasury very well. What does that mean though...?"

"Did they teach you nothing in that school? Well perhaps so since it was so basic...it just means that this wand is versatile, like a griffon can both be a lion and a bird. Indigo has dire wolf fur, usually that means someone who will use aggressive big powerful spells. You get it now?"

"It's all so fascinating!"

Lucinda beamed, liking her position now as someone who knew a lot of information. She filled Sofia's head with a lot more knowledge but they also talked of her school and at some point they go to talking of romance. Sofia saw no reason to keep secrets, she loved Cedric so all should know. She'd rather them find out from her own mouth than from gossip. It seemed Lucinda already knew about the emotional aspect but she had no clue she was proposed to. Lucinda inevitably admitted she had the worlds biggest crush on Wendell but he wasn't exactly on the side for good so it made it difficult for her. Besides which he got along well with Indigo and she assumed they liked each other.

Sofia simply told her to never give up on what her heart wants. As the morning fell into evening Lucinda told Sofia that she could come by anytime for a visit, both for her and Spooky, and Sofia thought that was a great idea because she would miss them. On her way home she thought about her brief time being a cat and even though it was troublesome she was a lot more flexible and agile that way. Cats were, in her opinion, both very graceful but also very skittish creatures. It took a fair bit of time for her to shake off all the cat hair but even still, though she tried her best, her father still was sneezing around her. Eventually she just up and changed her dress entirely, asking Suzette to wash the other one thoroughly.

That day she thought about Wormwood for the first time in a long time, about how he and Cedric were inseparable and for a time, echoed each other's wishes. It was saddening that their differences ended up tearing them apart because that was his friend long before she came into his life. It seemed there was no helping it, the bird wanted to do evil deeds and it got him nowhere fast. Sometimes she hoped that he would learn a lesson from all of that but she somehow doubted it. It was true Cedric had Minerva now but she was certain he missed Wormwood no matter what he might say.

She knew how he felt to some extent but wasn't sure how she would react if suddenly Clover turned bad. If Clover decided to hurt Cedric in some way on purpose, what would she do? Would she be as okay with locking him up as Cedric was with his own pet? She felt bad for her sorcerer, he had been betrayed by the whole world and the final salt in the wound was his own ally turned against him. Truly all he had was her. She laid in her bed looking up at the ceiling, letting her mind wonder until she closed her eyes, taking a little nap. She was awoken by a knock at her door and a voice calling on the other side. It sounded like her father. She got up from her bed, rubbing her eyes, and opened the door. He was standing there on the other side all on his own.

"Oh I didn't realize you were asleep. I can come back later."

"I just got up actually. What is it, dad?"

"Well you see, Sofia... it's been some time and after making the agreement on a land trade with Brightland I have time now to think about what Cedric asked me. Could you go and get him and meet me in my study? It will just be the three of us and no one will interrupt. Tell him not to worry... I've noticed he gets jumpy around me a lot."

Sofia wanted to say he had reason to be given everything but she just nodded her head silently. After he departed, she made her way towards her destination with hope in her heart. She felt that since everyone else had accepted him that her father would too and if for some reason he didn't, she had other plans. She would be with Cedric, that was her choice, it was her life, and no one no matter who was going to take that away from her. He opened the door and looked at her with a smile across his face which waned as soon as she told him what she was here for. He truly felt his love for her was sincere, he hoped he had shown that through his actions, but even though he had faith he was still anxious.

How could he not be? This was someone who was leagues above him in rank, someone who, despite his recent behavior, he had betrayed. He knew how he must look to him and how this all seemed. It was beyond unusual but that did not mean it was not true. What he felt for her ran deeper than common physicality, even if he loved that part of their relationship, but that wasn't what he was in love with. He loved her for her, everything about her, everything she did. Sofia held his hand tightly the whole way there, assuring him with just a touch that no matter what King Roland said no matter what was told to them that they'd be together. He knew in his heart that was true.

As they entered the room the temperature seemed to change. The long stretch of hallway towards the study had seemed cold but now it was suddenly warm, inviting. It was beyond the fact that the curtains were drawn letting in all the light from the day, it was just this feeling Cedric got. Everything suddenly made him feel at ease and when he sat down, he was no longer hunched over and tense. He relaxed, gaining an upright posture. He even looked Roland directly in the eyes, a feat of remarkable and unwavering bravery. Once the doors were closed their fates were sealed but it didn't feel wrong, it felt like there was going to be something good about to happen. Roland stood before both of them, ready to give his final decision.

"Cedric we have had a long and bumpy history, things haven't always turned out well in your favor. I've seen that now. Life has never handed you an easy way out of anything and until Sofia no one, including myself, has treated you with much kindness. I deeply apologize if I've ever made you feel like you were worthless. That kind of behavior isn't befitting of a king or...a friend."

He smiled warmly at Cedric receiving the same kind of smile back. "I truly should have been a better person towards you, if I had been then well... certain events would not have taken place. If not for Sofia... things would have turned out poorly for the both of us. It's truly because of Sofia that we are here but it wasn't Sofia that swayed my decision...it was you. You have always been there to take care of her and you have been nothing short of stalwart. I should never have assumed so little of you when you so clearly thought so highly of my youngest, enough to let your own life be on the line if it meant saving hers. You have truly proven yourself time and time again that you would do anything for her sake and most recently you have shown that you are loyal to the kingdom as well. So it is with no regret on my part that I say yes, Cedric, you have my blessing. You've more than earned it and my respect."

A sudden explosion of feeling erupted forth inside of Cedric. Everything turned entirely silent only a slight buzzing could be heard and he assumed that was his brain malfunctioning. His eyes and mouth were opened but nothing came out of him, not a noise. He stood there unblinking in front of him, trying to process all his emotions and what was told to him. His heart had felt both like it stopped and yet was beating so rapidly it needed to stop. Had he truly heard what he thought he heard? Was it true? Did those words really leave the king's mouth? He didn't hear at all Sofia's near shrill cries of elation nor did he seem to feel her shake him, crying out in joy. In her giddy glee she almost didn't notice the stillness of Cedric but when she did her smile slowly shifted to a frown of concern. She tried shaking him again to see if he would budge but he wouldn't. It was like a statue.

"What's wrong, Cedric? Are you okay?"

"Cedric snap out of it," Roland said, not demanded but nothing he did was shaking him out of his stupor. Then suddenly out of nowhere Cedric slipped out of the chair and fainted onto the floor. Sofia hurriedly went to his side and panicked as she tried to understand what was going on with him. She tried to see if he passed out from heat exhaustion but his skin was barely warm, if anything it was cold.

"Dad what's wrong with him? What happened? He was fine a few minutes ago."

"I think he's just in shock Sofia. Let's see...oh could you find me some ice cold water? Pouring it on him might rouse him."

Sofia looked around then got up from his side, obviously not wanting to but she had to revive him. Nobody seemed to understand why the princess was rushing down the hallways with a pitcher of ice water, spilling it all over the floor without care. Baileywick noted that she never made messes on purpose, something must have gone wrong. With no hesitation Sofia whispered she was sorry before dumping the frigid water all over Cedric causing an immediate reaction. He jolted up from the floor, wide eyed and alert. He couldn't process what just happened, he was on the chair before now he was on the floor, dripping wet and freezing. Sofia went to his side, hugging him to her, upset about something but he didn't know what.

"Wha...what's going on...?"

"You fainted, Cedric. Are you alright now?"

"I...what? I don't have any recollection...I feel fine...cold and wet but fine..."

"Don't do that again," Sofia cried out, "You scared me!"

"I'll try not to... though I don't know why I did..."

"It was after I gave you my approval on your proposal. I suppose it was so surprising to you that you just collapsed. I guess in a way that's my own doing... it seems in your own mind it seemed impossible that I'd even say yes at all...Sorry about that."

"No please don't apologize, your highness. You did what any father would do. I'd probably react a lot worse if it was my own child. But... you do mean it don't you...? You're sure about this?"

"I've never been surer. However, I do have a few stipulations. There's still a lot to handle and go over, both with this and with Enchancia as a whole. Weddings aren't planned in a day anyhow, mine took quite a few months. I know this sounds like I'm being unkind in some way by making you wait even longer but it's necessary. I have to secure the future of this kingdom and since Sofia has decided to stay a princess and adviser all of this relies on Amber. She will be of age to be secondary queen in command in a year. If it is at all possible, could you wait that long? It's...understandable if it's too much for you both. I have already done enough to postpone your desires."

Sofia helped with drying off Cedric as she thought about it. A whole year and then some, that's how long it would take for Amber to be eighteen as she had just turned seventeen not that long ago. By then Sofia would be sixteen and a half at least. The age seemed reasonable and the timing seemed fine, it did take a while to prepare a wedding especially the royal sort. One could not just up and say I do in one day. Dresses, decorations, guest invites, music, it all took a while even for a standard party never mind a wedding. Besides which there was something else, she knew that her father wanted to see Amber secure her future king soon, since he wouldn't be getting one from James or a marital one from her. It was incredibly important for him to know he would have a lineage to rule in his place whenever he either stepped down or passed on. He could retire from his throne with ease knowing it would be taken care of. Sure Amber could rule it all on her own but both she and he wanted a king too.

Clearly Cedric couldn't be king and he had given up that want a long time ago. All he wanted now was to be what he was and be the best at it. Waiting seemed a difficult task but it wouldn't be so bad and it's not like they'd be separated from each other at all. Still...to see Amber getting married and having to wait for her own it would be somewhat upsetting knowing that it had to be that way. That's just how things were. This was if Amber got married before her 18th. She wondered if her father would still allow her and Cedric to wed if Amber had no future king, if he would keep that promise or if he would make them wait longer.

Poor Axel, he had some pressure on him now. Sofia did want to marry Cedric as soon as possible but at the same time waiting was normal, it was common. Though maybe not for a plain village girl, the planning and preparations wouldn't take as long, some of them got married within a matter of days. Perhaps though it made more sense to get married a bit later, when she was older, and that way she could properly plan for her future. She still wanted to protect the land but if she was to ever have children she'd have to quit that at least until said child was old enough to fend for his or herself. There was a lot to consider here.

No, waiting until she was older made perfect sense. It would grow their love even more and give them time to become more accustomed to one another and go on more journeys too. Around and around she went trying to make sure of her decision, if she just jumped into marriage blindly it might not be the smartest idea, there were things she didn't know and her mother always told her patience was a virtue every person should have. She would wait, even if deep down she truly felt she didn't want to. Cedric on the other hand was more or less the same, just heavier on the wanting to not wait part.

He argued with himself that having her as his wife would only be a title, a ring, a last name change, but even if they weren't married she'd be his. He'd get to love her, walk with her, play with her, dance with her, whatever she wanted. It's as if he wanted to own her quickly and because that thought process went into his head he told himself waiting was what was needed. Besides he still needed to work on his jealousy amongst other things. Sofia was not property, she was a woman and truly this was her decision more than his. She had the final word in all of this.

"That sounds fair to me. I can agree to that," Sofia complied with a nod.

Cedric, who was now fully dried, agreed but then shifted gears and fumbled with something in his pocket. "Oh um...Should I propose correctly then?"

Sofia looked at her father then back at Cedric. "If you want to... but you know what I'll say. Are you sure you want to do this here...?"

"I have no shame in my feelings for you, dear. I don't care who is watching," He honestly replied, his hand on his heart. It was now Sofia's turn to swoon and even more so when he got on one knee, boldly in front of her father, and produced his ring. It was without a doubt the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The band was silver but a sort of silver that was mystifying, it seemed to change slight colors, like the manes and horns of some unicorns. In the middle was a purple stone shaped like a heart, just like the one she had left for him in his workshop when she was small, a symbol that even then she loved him deeply. On each side of it were small pink stones and white stones. It looked as if her amulet had transformed into a ring. She had not expected to get weepy over this but still she did.

"Sofia Winslow-Balthazar the first, will you do me the high honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes yes yes!" She exclaimed, holding out her hand for him while also trying to stop the water from coming out of her eyes. Until she would get married or have children this was right now one of the happiest moments in her entire life. As the ring slipped onto her finger she realized that the way he asked her and her response were almost exactly like when he had asked her to become his apprentice. Only this time instead of slipping on a purple magic hat, representing her ascent into the realm of magic, it was a purple ring representing her transition from woman to wife. She stared at it in astonishment, the gems catching the light making it glimmer at her.

"Do you like it? I worked on it for days."

"You made this yourself? Then I love it even more! How did you do it?"

"Oh you know a little of this a little of that. It was about the same process as making your tiara just smaller. It's enchanted you know."

"Is it?" She questioned with rapture in her voice, endlessly looking at her ring. "What does it do?"

Both of them were clearly in their own little bubble, seemingly forgetting Roland stood right there and could hear everything they were saying and see what they were doing. It didn't seem to bother him, it let him have further proof that his decision was right. Cedric always gave a lot of thought into his gifts for her no matter what occasion or season so of course his greatest gift to her had to be his most meaningful.

"Well I thought rings and weddings are meant to represent unity. A combination of two into one. So when I made your ring I had that in mind. Your ring is enchanted to protect you, just like all your other pieces of jewelry. I wanted it to be resourceful not just pretty, much like you."

"It will protect me...? How?"

"I have my own ring, my signet ring, it's been in my family for years but I almost never wear it. I tied them together. So whenever you are in trouble it will alert me and I will be able to find you. I know you have a million people at your disposal but I'd like to be one of them. I...can't ever lose you..."

"Oh...that...you...it's so... I haven't the words..."

"You've always said I was your protector. Well now I can truly be one. On top of that I can get more help here if need be."

"That's a great idea Cedric!" The king proclaimed, reminding them that he was there. "All this time I've been so worried, well not just me but we all have been so worried about Sofia being in trouble. She has a lot of friends but her family should also be there for her in her times of need. After all, family comes first."

Sofia smiled brightly at her father then hugged him as hard as she could without hurting him. "Thank you, dad. You don't know what you saying yes has meant to me."

"I think I understand well enough," He told her, kissing the top of her head. "When I fell in love with your mother, I had my own issues with people telling me it was unheard of but I chose to marry her anyways. I'd hate for someone to bar me from the one I loved; I see no reason to do that to you. Besides, I know for sure that Cedric is a good man, no a great man."

"The greatest," Sofia added, turning her sparkling eyes towards Cedric who stood there stunned at what was said to him by the king. He humbly took the compliment though, glad he had proved over time he was worthy of such a title. With no regard for anything or anyone she pecked Cedric right on the lips then claimed she was going to tell everyone the good news. Her delight over this made him want to do the same. He knew at least two people who should know right away. He excused himself before making his way up the stairs, not even noticing he was skipping steps, bounding all the way to his door, he was even singing. He gave Minerva a hug calling her a beautiful bird and other such nice phrases, telling her something exciting happened. Shaken a little she was put back on her perch, wondering what all the hullabaloo was. She was so tired, though, that she couldn't be bothered with her curiosity, she fell straight back to sleep.

It did not matter to Cedric if she was sleeping or not, he didn't keep his voice down at all. He turned towards the painting of his parents and called for them to come quickly. Now of everyone that knew of what was going on his parents were the most left out of the loop. He didn't want them spreading it all over the magical world or getting in over their head about it. He wanted to be certain this would work before telling them and he didn't want them to know of his feelings either. They were irritating when it came to that kind of thing. Once he had a slight fling with someone, it barely lasted five days, and his mother was already talking about marital vows. So one could only imagine what would be done if there was a real love in his life. Once they popped out of the portrait, he could hardly contain himself. He grabbed his mother, lifting her upwards with a strange newfound strength, and spun her around. Even though she was an affectionate person she had not expected this reaction out of her son who was decidedly less affectionate, if not the least affectionate out of her immediate family. So this was unorthodox to say the least.

"Cedric what has gotten into you?"

"Nothing mummy. I'm just so very happy!" He exclaimed, placing her down and kissing her cheek. He then reached forward and squeezed his father in a tight embrace.

"My goodness. You sure you aren't ill?" His father asked with great concern.

"Not at all...actually yes I am ill. Sick with joy and love. Oh but I'm getting ahead of myself. Please sit down."

They both looked at each other with questioning faces but sat down all the same. Cedric didn't sit at all, he couldn't, his blood was pumping through his veins at lighting speed and this resulted in him pacing back and forth. He was trying his best to say everything but it all came out as garbled up bunch of words with no sense to them.

"Slow down, Ceddykins. One thing at a time. All I got from all that was something about Sofia."

"Not just something...everything! Sofia's my fiancé now!"

Both of their mouths dropped, now mimicking the look he had earlier though thankfully none of them passed out. The quickest to come back to reality was his mother who seemed very smug.

"Pay up Goody. I told you I was right. I'm always right."

"Yes dear..." He submitted, reaching into a small purse and handed over some gold coins to his wife.

"What's going on? Did you...did you two bet on me...again?" Cedric crossly inquired, squinting his eyes at them both.

"Oh Ceddy, you say it like it's a bad thing," His mother dismissed. "It was a healthy wager is all. When it came down to it we have always known Sofia was the right girl for you, especially after her visit during the giving thanks day. I knew then she liked you and you certainly liked her. I wasn't exactly sure until her fifteenth birthday came along and I saw the looks you were giving her and how you two danced. Oh it was so cute! I just KNEW that you were in love. Your father was not convinced, however."

"So you bet on me getting with Sofia, then? And what was so hard about believing she liked me?"

"No son you've got it all wrong. I was certain she liked you but I didn't think you liked her much less fallen in love with her. Why it's unheard of! A sorcerer and a princess...I only thought that you felt she was too young or something."

"Father... didn't you marry mother at the same age?"

"Well...yes but I was only ten years older, not twenty. Besides it was a different time, you see. Whatever the case it doesn't matter. What matters is your own personal happiness. I've always wanted you to end up with someone who would make you smile like you used to when you were a boy. I think then it makes perfect sense for Sofia to be that person. I always did like the girl, she's got real spark."

"True enough," Winifred agreed. "A lady like that is one in a million. Oh! What a happy day for me! My son is going to at last have a wife and not just any wife but one of nobility! But wait...oh what about the king? What did he think?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you. He had to think on it for a while but eventually he gave me his blessing. Said I earned it...I don't feel like that's right. Sofia is not some consolation prize for good behavior."

"Aww listen to him Goody. He really is in love with her! How sweet. My big boy is becoming a man," She gushed, squeezing his cheeks so hard they turned crimson. He yelped in pain.

"Ow ow mummy please! I've been a man for twenty five years! Now kindly let go."

"It's a good thing the king approves otherwise you'd have to elope and that's just not proper in the slightest."

"I could give bugger all about what's proper to be honest, father."

"Cedric, watch your language!" His mother warned, wagging a finger at him, as usual still treating him like he was a child. He face palmed and let out a long sigh of aggravation. It had all started out so well and now this. He certainly hoped Sofia was having a much better time of telling people than he was.

Sofia wanted to tell her mother first, if she didn't already know. Her mother was puttering about in the gardens, admiring this year's harvest and all the flowers. She was discussing planting some type of floral bush when Sofia interrupted as politely as she knew how. The gardener went on his way and left the two alone to talk. Just like Cedric Sofia could hardly contain her joy. Her mother was thankful all the trouble on whether or not Roland would say yes or no had passed. She had been talking with him near every day, trying to nudge him into saying yes. She had a lot of reasons why yes was the best course of action, one being even if he said no Sofia was not one to back down on anything. She would find some other way around it whether through a loophole or giving up her crown entirely.

Being with Cedric was her greatest heart's desire and she would do just about anything to get it. Cedric was yes far far older than Sofia and she was very young but that didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't fake love on either end, no childish affection, nothing forced, nothing changeable. It was true, honest, deep, just like theirs was. He had tried to say that perhaps Cedric would have fallen in love with anyone who was exceedingly kind to him but that didn't delete anything. It was like Roland was making excuses to prolong this further. Miranda told him that it didn't matter for what reason it was still love, real love, built from years of affection and friendship, hard work, and sorrow. Sofia wouldn't care even if Cedric was the same age as his parents or older and for Cedric he was devastated at first to know he felt this way but love has a funny way of not letting go and leaving you alone.

There's just no fighting it and with a persistent Sofia there's really no fighting her either. They were going to be together and Cedric was not a bad person at heart. Eventually Roland crumbled to the logic of it all and being ignored by his eldest did help sway him some. They were both very upset at him for taking so long and he knew why. What James said was true, he'd most likely not hesitate if the shoe was on another foot. All these facts helped him make his decision. Miranda was happy and she couldn't wait to be there watching her daughter go down the aisle. After telling her mother she went off to find Amber who was still in the music room, flipping the page of her sheet music. James was absent. Sofia sneakily held her hands behind her back as to not give away her reveal just yet.

"Welcome back Sofia. You've been gone for hours. Did you have fun doing whatever it is you do?"

"Yes! I found a lost cat today and gave it a new home. I also visited Lucinda and we talked a lot about, you know, witchy things. Where's James by the way?"

"He said he was going to do weight training. He just isn't that great with music you know, you hear how he plays the kazoo now imagine it on a trumpet! Ugh. My ears are still ringing."

"Well can you come with me to find him...? I have something to tell you both."

"Is it bad news or good news?"

"Great news!"

"Yay! I don't care much to hear bad things. Alright let's go find our brother."

Sofia and Amber walked down the hallways together, Sofia still keeping her hands behind her back clasped tightly. Amber questioned nothing of the action. They found James in his play clothes working up a sweat training his muscles. A knight must not just be agile but strong too, if they lose their sword they have to rely on other things. He stopped what he was doing when he was told Sofia had an important thing to tell them. They both stood in front of her and she couldn't help but explode into a smile knowing the secret they would soon find out.

"Well what is it?" James asked, thinking she was keeping some sort of gift behind her back. What other reason was she doing that for?

She removed her hands from behind her back and showed her one ringed finger to them, directly in the light so they could see. "Ta-da! Dad gave his approval!"

Amber gasped so much and so sharply that she started coughing but regained her composure as much as she could. James, of course, was clapping and using his usual phrase when things were good. His sister was having a hard time getting over it. She couldn't believe it. Sofia was going to get married before her! She had wanted her father to say yes, of course, but now that he had Amber had to face the facts...her best friend and her sister were both going to have husbands and she wasn't.

"I can't...! I don't...! When are you getting married? There's so much to plan and do and your dress and the cake and-"

"Amber calm down," Sofia pleaded, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Breathe. Now then, it's not going to be until after you become queen. That was the agreement."

"So wait...because of me you have to wait even longer?"

"Don't twist it that way. Dad just wants to make sure the kingdom is taken care of is all and I don't mind it, the waiting. It's fine by me. Besides think about how many weddings are going to happen soon. I think mine should wait a little."

"But...Sofia don't you want to be married now?"

"Sure but it doesn't matter. I'll love him five years from now or five minutes from now. I can wait. It will make dad feel a lot better but if I happen to get impatient then I guess I can go ahead with it but to be fair I'd rather wait until everyone else is done and you are crowned. I have a lot of things to do, you know, and attending several weddings while planning my own plus protecting duties plus whatever else crops up is insanity. I'll wait and I don't really mind if you got married first anyhow."

"I doubt it...Axel isn't like Cedric...strange as that sentence sounds it's true. Cedric is so...committed to you. I don't know if Axel is ready yet...I'd have to ask but I don't want to impose... I want him to decide on his own, you know? I really...I really do love him...I'd be heart broken if I couldn't...Oh I shouldn't be sad at a time like this! Can I see the ring again?"

"Of course you can Amber."

Amber held her sister's hand in her own and looked at it. It was very fitting to her. It was cute and whimsical, like fairies made it or something. All in all perfect for Sofia. If anyone deserved this it was her, she deserved to be loved and so did Cedric. They deserved each other. Amber was happier than she could describe for her sister but underlining that was bitterness, a bitterness she wanted to throw like a rock and skip across the water.

It was such a bad feeling she had that she needed to be alone to deal with it but it was hard for her, the girl who had always gotten everything she wanted, who had dreamed of her own wedding, and now felt that her own love didn't care enough about her. She would not tell Sofia, she had enough to worry about. Soon enough everyone in the castle knew and gave their congratulations and none of it seemed faked or forced. Baileywick seemed genuinely touched by the ring, knowing Cedric had made it and given it special care, the kind of care and love he knew the man was going to give to Sofia.

All her animal friends knew too and though Clover used to not really care much for Cedric in time he had grown to, much like everyone else, like him. After all he saved Sofia many times. As a rabbit he really couldn't say if Cedric was attractive, honestly he looked bird like to him, but Sofia liked him and that's all that counted. He was hopping with happiness for her, asking when the wedding was just because cake and food was involved. Eventually Sofia found her way back up those familiar spiral stairs and along the way heard some arguing or loud talking. From the other side of the door she swore she could hear Cedric's parents. How did they get there? They must know some special wizard traveling system that got you places fast. She knocked first, it would be impolite to just rush in. Winifred ran to the door before her son could even make one step and as soon as she swung it open she embraced Sofia.

"Oh my dear it's so nice to see you!"

"Nice to see you too, Miss Winifred. Um...how did you all get here?"

"That's not important. Mummy please let her go, you'll end up hurting her. You hug much too tightly."

"Oops! Am I hurting you? I'm so sorry," She apologized, dusting Sofia off. "Such a pretty purple dress! You look absolutely lovely. No wonder Ceddykins took a fancy to you."

"Mother please...don't start..."

"Hush Ceddy, let mummy admire her new daughter-in-law."

"I guess you've already told them, huh?" Sofia asked, smiling as Winifred looked at her ring.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?"

"Cedric don't be rude now, that's your wife...well soon to be anyhow," His father expressed. "We really should get going Winny, it's brewingo night. Don't want to miss that. Renellda the radiant will beat you again if you don't hurry."

"No she most certainly will not! Radiant! Humph! Now Sofia here, that's radiant. The old hag can't even spell the word. Fine, I'll go but Ceddykins, you better take very good care of her, you hear me? Do be gentle with her too," His mother demanded with mock sternness, too elated to actually be mad at anything, fussing over his hair.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Cedric."

All the sudden he turned scarlet all over, realizing something the naïve Sofia couldn't understand. She waved goodbye to both of them as they disappeared from sight. She then realized how exactly they got there, it was through their picture. She wondered if they could see everything all the time but concluded most likely it wasn't a window, they must get called whenever he mentioned them. She took a good look at the portrait, touched it all over, and became even more increasingly inquisitive about magic and how it all worked.

"So do they always visit you like that?"

"Hmph. Yes, sometimes a little too often for my liking and they always only come to nag me."

"Oh they seem nice to me."

"To you everyone seems nice," He assessed, folding his arms together and sighing. "They give me such a headache."

"Come on, don't be like that, they are your parents. They are only doing what they think is right."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to deal with them day by day."

"I think maybe you're being a little unfair. Your mother especially loves you very much and would do anything for you."

"She loves me a little too much."

"I love you too much and you aren't mad at me...are you?"

Cedric released his crossed arms and motioned for her to enter them which she happily did. She cuddled into his arms, feeling comforted by his soft caresses.

"No I'm not ever mad at you. My parents though, they just annoy me. That's how it is. It doesn't mean I don't care about them."

"I guess I understand. Sometimes parents can be frustrating. Still... they're both really good people who made you, who by the way did I mention is incredible?"

"You...might have mentioned it but I could never tire of hearing it. Say it again?"

"You're incredible! And amazing! And soooo wonderful!"

He lifted her up some, surprising himself now that he realized he could lift people at all. His mother was a lot heavier than him now that he thought about it. Perhaps all this running around with Sofia had given him some brawn because he was able to hold her up so high her feet weren't touching the ground. He kissed her hard on her mouth, just once, then put her back down. He just looked at her, really looked at her. A year? He could wait that long for her, he could wait even longer. His love for her wasn't going anywhere. For Sofia he'd wait forever if he must, because she was his forever.


	24. Chapter 24

For Sofia and Cedric the days passed by quickly because they were always off doing something and always doing it together. Whether it was Cedric accompanying her on her duties or her helping him with anything he needed in his workshop. Through each passing day their love for each other was shown whether boldly in public, holding hands and kissing, or in private in other ways. At this point Cedric tried to convince himself that his promise didn't matter anymore, she was his fiancé now and he was no longer courting her. Surely it was fine to take things further, especially since he already had prior. Whatever reason he came up with was rather loose, he knew it, but all of it went out the window because his desire for her was sometimes too much to handle. Sofia didn't mind but she didn't understand why it was a secret thing.

All she knew was a princess must remain pure in every sense and that included being untouched by any man until her wedding. She didn't quite understand why it was such a big deal, before after, why did it matter when? So many rules and stipulations to being what she was and she wondered if all princesses were like this, if they all followed in line with what was told to them without question. She assumed so though she knew of one of royal blood who didn't and when it came to "princess things" this is who she asked. Aunt Tilly, despite always being on the move, made time for her youngest niece and was happy to answer any questions she had.

"But aunt Tilly, why is it so bad to be...bedded with a person who you aren't married with?"

"Well Sofia, I think it's because a lot of people find it immoral for a young woman to do that, it reflects poorly on her character that she isn't willing to wait. At least I think so. Why do you ask? You and Cedric haven't...done that have you?"

Sofia's cheeks went cherry red and she turned bashful quickly but she knew she could be truthful with her aunt, she would never tell a soul anything. "I um...you see it's...the answer is yes...Is it really like you say? Is it really something shameful and disgraceful?"

"Not to me! I'm like you, Sofia. All these things they tell us to do, it's why I left. I wanted to be free to go where I wanted, to be what I wanted, to dress crazy or dance around in my pantaloons without anyone to tell me no! You're as virtuous as they come, I doubt being intimate with someone you love will change that. So don't doubt yourself and do what you've always done, follow your heart, chase your dreams, dare to be different!"

Sofia brightened like a light being turned on, her eyes sparkling with new resolve. After her long discussion she felt more confident in her decisions and decided there was truly nothing wrong with her for doing this. She tried to be less shy about the whole thing but even though she was getting better about her shyness overall, she was not like him. Despite almost never being with a woman and being verbally destroyed by all of them he seemed to know his way around when it came to that. Deep down even if it wasn't obvious he was a very romantic suave man, at least to Sofia. At this point his bandages had also come off, revealing the scar to Sofia as well as the death mark located on his upper back. He did not hold back from her and told her the entire truth and it only brought them closer together. Amber had come to be somewhat disappointed in her Axel, not that he wasn't caring and considerate but he wasn't going to take that plunge it seemed. There was not much for her to do but just be okay with everyone else having self- assured men who would easily pop the question without thought.

When it came time for Hildegard's actual wedding, she was an impatient girl and wasn't about to wait for too long to get married and she planned way ahead, Amber was smiling on the outside but her inside was different. She loved her best friend, all of her close female friends were like other sisters almost, but how could she not be somewhat envious? Not that she liked the soon to be husband, perhaps once long ago but it wasn't that. Due to the custom of Zandar's culture he was always going to be married very early in life, so it was no wonder he asked for her hand quickly and had been giving her pre-proposal gifts the whole time. If he could catch her eye with big fancy shows of affection then she was as good as his and thankfully for him that was just exactly how to win over Hildegard. That and he was a very nice person, a proper prince and he pretty much kissed the ground she walked on.

All in all he was perfect for her. It only made things inside of Amber worse, she was hurting silently and she hated that she was on her best friends' biggest day. She truly was over the moon for her, for the longest time as girls, including Clio, they all dreamt about their wedding day, doodling up designs for dresses and imagining what handsome prince they'd wed. Clio ended up growing out of that wanting to marry phase and simply focused on her theater work. Romance was secondary if it happened at all and even now she and Khalid were casual, dating and working but never even making much of a peep about their future together. That's kind of how James was, he wasn't too concerned with marriage yet. Hildegard and Amber never stopped dreaming or believing that soon they would be wives and mothers one day. Now it was coming true for one of them leaving the other waiting. She'd be on the sidelines, a bridesmaid, the maid of honor, but not the one going down the aisle, her father on her arm, her beloved waiting at the altar.

The wedding was going to be at Tangu, Hildegard's new future kingdom leaving her elder sister to rule as queen of Freezenburg. Sofia was also a bridesmaid and they were all dressed in traditional clothing befitting the area mixed with high fashion befitting Hildegard. Sofia was all ready to go and she knew Amber was probably still getting ready, as usual. It didn't matter if everything was laid out before her, she still took hours to get ready for some reason. So Sofia waited, making her way to the foyer where everyone else was waiting, passing Cedric in the hallway who she waved at. He screeched to a halt seeing her entirely, taking a second glance to make sure he wasn't losing his marbles.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold it. Where are you going dressed like that, I'd like to know?"

"Oh it's Hildegard's wedding today. I thought you knew already."

"Yes I was aware but what does that have to do with your outfit? It's entirely too revealing!"

Sofia looked down upon herself, viewing her outfit. It was a royal purple color with golden accents, a sort of sari wrap dress. One arm and shoulder were exposed covered in bangles and her midriff was showing. Her ankles and neck were also not covered but it wasn't nearly as much as he was making it out to be and it was what they wore there.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm pretty much covered. The dancers wear less than this actually."

"I don't care. It's much too much, Sofia."

"It doesn't matter, I have to wear it. It's what all the bridesmaids are wearing so it's not like I'm the only one. Besides when I go to the beach it's nothing compared to this and this is so pretty. I don't want to upset anyone there by disrespecting their culture. Also I should be allowed to wear whatever I want."

"Hmph...fine fine. As you wish. I suppose you are right... as usual."

"Thank you, Cedric, for being understanding. You're the best!" Sofia exclaimed, getting on her tip toes and kissing his cheek making him smirk.

"Yes I know."

Sweetly giggling she went on her way and he went on his. Perhaps he was being too protective of her, she was free to do as she wished and it wasn't her he was upset with. It wasn't her choice to wear that, it was a custom in Tangu and he couldn't be rude about it, that would be disrespectful and a bit intolerant. No, he was upset with any man who would see her in that. True every woman was going to be but in Cedric's mind and heart Sofia was the most attractive. He had to trust that nothing would happen, if anyone dared Sofia could take care of them and at this point, they should know she was due to be wed. Taking a deep breath, he let his insecurities go float away like a kite. Sofia was glad he got over it so fast, that he accepted things, assuring himself that there was nothing to fear. After all she wasn't naked or anything.

Their bond and trust were strengthening and developing as was his ability to stop being the way he was when it came to other people of his gender around her. They were working on him controlling his emotions better and so far it was working, he was making it work because he didn't want to hurt her feelings again with his stupidity. Though she was light and chipper she could not ignore someone in need of help so when she heard distinct crying she went towards it. It seemed to be coming from Amber's room and knowing Amber's crying really well at this point Sofia hurried faster. She hoped it was something very simple, like she was crying over her dress not fitting right or her nails breaking. Sofia knew it was impolite to not knock but in this case she knew politeness was not important. She tried the door but it was locked.

"Amber please let me in!" Sofia pleaded, knocking on the door hurriedly.

"Just one moment!" Amber called back and Sofia could hear a small sniffle. When Amber opened the door her cheeks were a little pink as was her nose and her eyes seemed just a bit bloodshot. She had tried to wipe her face with tissues, Sofia could see some crumpled up in the waste basket, but it was not covering anything. Amber's smile also wasn't exactly right.

"I'm sorry I know I'm taking forever. I promise I'll be ready in five minutes."

"That's not why I'm here," Sofia clarified, letting herself in then closing the door behind her. "I heard you crying. Is everything alright?"

"You must have heard wrong. I'm fine. Now go go, I'll be out soon."

"Amber...you can talk to me. What's wrong?" Sofia calmly inquired, taking her sister's hands in hers. "We're sisters, we should talk about our problems together."

Amber looked like she was unsure of what to say next, searching about the room with a worried expression before releasing a long heavy sigh. "Oh I feel like an idiot! I shouldn't even be upset at all but here I am moping about. I should be all smiles but... ugh!"

She threw her arms up in frustration then landed hard onto her bed, burying her face in her hands. Sofia sat next to her, placing her hand at her back. "I just I don't know...I'm jealous there I said it!"

"Jealous? Of Hildegard? It's because she's getting married and you aren't, isn't it?"

Amber sighed heavily and nodded her head yes but regrettably and slowly. "It's true... it's all true. I feel stupid but I can't help it. It's not like a race for me to see who was first but it upsets me deeply that Axel hasn't asked or even brought it up once. Why? Is it something wrong with me? Does he not like me enough? Am I not good enough? Or is it he's just not ready yet and why? He's older than me, he's had time to think. By the time I'm crowned he will be twenty three. Oh I just don't know Sofia. I don't know!"

Sofia watched her sister lament, entirely exasperated. It was obvious this was a big deal to her and though Sofia couldn't grasp it entirely she understood Amber well enough to know something like this would bother her. She got the concept of being upset over someone truly loving or even liking you at all. Sofia had that issue with Cedric but unlike Cedric back then, Axel and Amber were actually together. It was that Amber was worried she was just like a passing fad for him, that their relationship was nothing serious and she was easily replaced. On top of all that she really did want to get married, soon. For her nothing would make her happier than getting her dream man, her prince charming, her king that would rule by her side, and she wanted children. She had come up with a long list of potential baby names, wanting to name her first son Roland the third, keeping her father's lineage going strong. This was at least if her brother didn't do that.

It might seem very basic but these were her goals; become queen, have a husband, and have kids. That was all and it was being hindered. She had thought when she chose Axel that he was the one but maybe she was wrong, maybe she should have gone with Hugo all along or maybe somebody else entirely. Sofia was sad to hear her sister blaming herself, thinking there was something wrong with herself. Sofia weighed on this topic, thinking hard about what the best thing would be to say. She knew Amber was most likely jealous of her too. She had to make sure she didn't come off in any sort of way that would make things worse.

"Amber, for starters there's nothing wrong with the way you are. If someone can't accept you for you, flaws and all, then they aren't really the right person for you. Secondly have you tried talking to him and seeing what he thinks?"

"...No...I'm scared of what he will say...what if he just up and tells me it's over? What if I'm truly nothing to him? What if-"

"If all that is true then you just have to let him go. It will be hard and you'll be hurt over it, but it's for the best that you let that kind of person out of your life and find someone better. You really should talk to him, though, maybe he's just as confused and worried as you are or worse. I mean imagine how he must feel. You are going to be the queen of an important kingdom, he has a lot to live up to not only for our dad but for you. Maybe he's scared that to you he's not worth it, that maybe HE'S replaceable, not special enough to marry you."

"I...never thought about it like that...," She confessed aloud, deep in thought about what was said. She was only looking at this from her own perspective, she never thought for a second about how he must feel, how much was put on him to be the best kind of man for her and her kingdom, the amount of pressure he was under. Axel already had to keep up a pristine appearance and track record. He had a lot of accomplishments under his belt and had to stay the emblem of near perfection. It also didn't exactly help that he had a strict upbringing and a very well to do family who expected the best out of both him and his younger brother. For a while both of them had a superiority complex and had masculine old fashioned ideals but as she does, Sofia changed that. It seemed that the cocky attitude they adopted was just a façade to hide their truth, that they were afraid and stressed and trying too hard to please everyone with how amazingly skilled they were.

Being pushed to their limits by their trainers and father turned them into unpleasant people but time and friendship revealed their true self. There were still essences of the old life left within them, those harsh words and trying times were still in their heads, and the need to be the very best was installed in them. Amber was seeing now that maybe Axel was ready, that he wanted to just as much as she did, that he could even love her but maybe he felt like he wasn't good enough for her, he wasn't impressive enough. What wounded her was part of this was her own fault. She recalled how miffed she was that the false prince had gotten Sofia a diamond tiara but Axel's own gift was not nearly as showy. He must have felt so inferior and she had been so selfish, not at all being happy with what he had given her. She loved the tiara he gave her, anything he got her, but she didn't appreciate him in that moment or some others.

"Oh Sofia... I'm awful! I've done all this to myself! I never really showed him just how much he means to me and how much I truly love whatever he gives to me no matter what it is. I've been...very foolish...but I will rectify it before it gets any worse! I'm too old to be acting like a brat. I should be more grateful and kind, like you are."

"You are though. Really, you've changed a lot since we first met and I'm so proud of you! If you truly feel that you did something wrong though it's very adult of you to realize it and want to fix yourself. He's coming to the wedding too, right? You could talk to him then, when there's time."

"See this is why you're the greatest! You have the very best ideas! I'm so glad you'll be my council. Thank you for listening to me and helping. It's so nice to have someone to just vent to."

"I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what. Now let's re-do your makeup and head on out. Don't want to be late."

"No we certainly do not. Hildegard would kill me if I was late to her wedding!"

Amber laughed lightly and Sofia joined her. It was time to be heading out now, Amber was ready. Sofia had never matched Amber before, their styles were so different, but now they were in the exact same outfit right down to color. Hildegard had said purple is the color of royalty and that's why she chose it. For a moment Sofia ruminated upon the fact that she had always been inclined towards the color and most of her wardrobe was purple. The men all wore purple long shirts and tan pants, James said it felt very odd having so much room for his legs. To Tangu they went, just in time too. Amber, Sofia, and James got in their places while the parents all sat down in the aisles. The prince was already there, shaking his head at the fact that as usual Amber was fashionably late.

He looked very striking in the golden clothes he wore with white and silver accents. Very regal. Speaking of people who looked lovely, the bride was coming with the bridal march being played on Tanguvian instruments. It sounded so exotic and different but nobody disliked it. Her dress was stellar, as to be expected, a pale oceanic blue making her long train look like water. Zandar liked to say that Hildegard was his oasis in the middle of the desert and her dress reflected that. The pride and joy on her face made Amber start pulling out tissues and this time her crying was happy. They were wed in the way of Tangu tradition and from then on Hildegard was properly now the regent of Tangu. After the wedding there was a little party and Hildegard had a different dress for that but it was still blue, her most favorite shade of it.

During the party Amber found Axel and took him aside, away from everyone else. Together they sat and had a long long talk about things. Sofia had seen them walk away together and was glad to see things were getting resolved. She hated her sister being so distressed. When they returned both were smiling and holding hands, Sofia knew then that all was alright. Everyone ate, drank, had a lot of fun, and then after the gifts they went home. Amber lingered a little saying five thousand goodbyes to her friend and still crying happily for her. James came home trying to copy the Tangu acrobats, walking on his hands but kept failing. Sofia thought it was humorous but liked that her brother, no matter how old he got, kept his lively energetic youthful spirit about him. Amber leaned close to Sofia, whispering low so only she could hear.

"You were so right, Sofia! It was exactly like you said, he was feeling like he wasn't good enough. I can't believe I never saw it before. I set such a high expectation and he felt he couldn't meet it. I told him he was above expectation; he was very much worthy of me."

"See? Then everything worked out okay? Did he say anything about, you know, marriage?"

"Yes. He did want to after all, he said it was destiny anyways because I caught the bouquet. The only thing is we didn't want to upstage anyone, you know? Hildy just had hers and yours would come after mine. I still feel bad for making you wait...I couldn't possibly do that to you."

"It's okay, I promise. I still have a lot of things to do and to figure out. You can go ahead and start planning yours whenever you want. I don't care if I get married when I'm sixteen or eighteen. I'll love Cedric no matter what, though he might be impatient about it somewhat."

"I don't know...isn't it a bit...much? I don't want Hildegard to think I'm trying to outshine her. It's not the right season for me to get married now, I want to do it when there's no events like birthdays or anything. I've always wanted a spring or summer wedding and it's almost winter now. I have a sneaking suspicion that my Wassalia gift from Axel will be the ring. It's the most perfect time for him to do it."

"Oh! Why don't you have it at night, that way the stars will be out?"

"What a great idea! It should be themed after the night sky with star lights and moon shapes and oh I can't wait to start planning! Summer nights are when the fireflies come out so that's perfect. Summer then, mid-summer."

Amber went to her bedroom giddy and squealing, rambling off ideas to herself. Sofia never gave much thought about her own wedding but she wanted something simple and meaningful. Nothing fancy and elaborate and she'd like her dress to match that. She could have Callista be the flower girl and maybe James could bring the rings? It would be cute and funny if Clover brought the rings. Whatever the case she was certain she didn't want anything big and crazy. She wondered what Cedric would want. She assumed he'd want the same. Her eyes went towards the spiral steps as she thought about him. She ought to say goodnight to him, she had been doing that lately. So just as she had done every night she went to him, kissed him, and wished him sweet dreams. He wished she'd just stay there and sleep with him every time but perhaps he should save that for when they were properly married. As the weeks flew by Sofia still continued her work as a protector princess.

Every one of the protectors knew now that she was engaged and were happy for her. They told her if she ever needed a break that they'd understand. For now she didn't need one at all. Wassalia came and as Amber said Axel did in fact propose in front of everyone. He got Amber quite the large amber colored diamond and she was all too proud to show it off to everyone. Roland was relieved to know now that the kingdom would be in good hands, Axel was a fine choice. It didn't take too long for Amber to have an engagement party and she invited everyone, including the queen and king of Brightland who brought along their children and their magician too. They wanted to introduce her to Cedric, see if maybe he could give her some pointers.

She was young, not too young but young and wore mostly dark green clothing. Even her wand had small emeralds embedded in it and she wore emerald jewelry. She was a red head which complimented the green, it seemed red hair was common in Brightland, but hers was literally so orange it was actually red, reminding Sofia of Princess Ariel. She called herself Livia the lovely and she lived up to it, she was lovely. At the party Sofia was talking to people in excited tones about this or the other when she noticed Cedric and Livia, engrossed in conversation. They were both smiling and laughing, having a great time together. It was wonderful that he had someone to talk to that was like himself, perhaps they could be great friends.

She wondered what it was they were talking about. Magic stuff most likely. She could only just barely understand high level magic. For days on end Livia kept coming to their castle to learn from Cedric. Sofia found herself in a predicament, every time she went to visit him or help him or just be with him he was busy with her and she felt...well pushed aside sort of. He was spending more time with Livia than with her now, she had become his new apprentice and all the time she could hear them enjoying themselves. On one occasion she saw him walking around the grounds with her, she was on his arm and he was pointing out things of interest. It made Sofia's heart drop some. She should know better, that he would never try to replace her not after all he went through, but why was he letting this woman touch him the way she touched him? Surely he was just being nice to her. Sofia shook it off. Yes that was all it was.

Still...she felt...she was boring in comparison to her, a real sorceress. She could never measure up to that and because of that he found, at least Sofia assumed he did, Livia far more interesting. They could talk about all sorts of things together and do real wizard duels and show off spells that could outdo anything she had learned. Sofia sat in her room with her legs dangling off the bed, flicking her wand in the air in a sad slow sort of way. She looked at it, stroking across the wood surface feeling his initials carved there. Her animal friends all took notice of her frowning pout and the look in her eyes. Mia landed on her shoulder and Robin on the other, Finchley had stayed behind to help teach the kids to fly better.

"Sofia what's wrong?" Robin asked worriedly.

"I guess I'm just...feeling...left out I guess..."

"Left out of what?" Mia pondered, hopping closer to Sofia's face to peer at her.

"Well ever since Livia showed up Cedric and I haven't been spending time together like we used to. I can never go up to see him without her being there. I know he has to train her but we feel so distanced now...He's busy though. I understand that. I'm sure maybe he feels the same way when I'm off doing things."

"You aren't thinking that this Livia girl is going to take Cedric do you?" Clover questioned with a scrutinizing face. "Because honestly, Sofia, no one is as good or as amazing as you are."

"You think so?"

"I know it! You've done so many things, traveled across the globe, saved the kingdom from all sorts of bad guys, you've helped the town, and loads more! Plus, hello, he asked YOU to marry him. There's no way he's crazy enough to leave you for anyone else, especially not her."

"I don't think he'll leave me. He still loves me, I'm sure of that," Sofia explained, looking at her ring shimmering in the light. She smiled at it still recalling the fuzzy sweet feelings of that day. "It's just...I feel...lonesome...not that I don't have a bunch of good friends like all of you but..."

"It's hard being without him," Robin answered. "I know how you feel. Before he came to stay whenever Finchley was away I got really upset and even when he leaves for a little I feel sad but he always comes back. My mom always said if a person truly loves you they will never leave you."

"That's right. He's just occupied is all. I'm sure he doesn't mean to leave you feeling lonely," Mia thought, rubbing her head under Sofia's chin.

"But hey, Sof, if you are feeling down spending time with your favorite bunny oughta cheer you up. C'mon why don't we go outside and have some fun? You know, call me crazy, but I kinda was thinking we should go to Sumeria to visit a certain friend of mine."

"You mean Crackle? I thought she got on your nerves."

"Sometimes she does with all the pouncing but you know it's just how she is. I'm learning to deal with it. Plus I'm kind of craving roasted veggies."

Sofia giggled. Of course it all came down to food. Perhaps though getting outside and enjoying herself would help take her mind off things a little. She gathered up her bunny in her arms and started her way outside, asking for a carriage to take her to Sumeria. As soon as she got there Crackle just somehow knew Clover was near and went to pursue him happily. Sofia visited with Vivian, they had tea and talked of things while watching their animals frolic, and they ended up staying well into the afternoon. Sofia got back home by sunset. It was just what the doctor ordered, fresh air, friends, and perfectly roasted carrots. She felt much better now. Clover, all tuckered out from jumping around all day, was sleeping in her arms, every now and then scratching his ear.

She placed him down in her room and left him there to sleep. As dinner rolled by she noticed Baileywick taking two trays up to Cedric. Usually he only took one. When she inquired about it, he said the other was for Miss Livia which made Sofia feel strange. She was still there? It was nighttime now and they were eating dinner together? Suddenly she didn't feel hungry anymore. She eased herself by reminding herself that was her fiancé, this meant nothing. They were only friends and he could have friends over whenever he wanted, day or night. She had dinner with her friends before and she had made him get over the fact that she had let a prince stay the night in the castle. Was this any different? It was her bedtime now but she had yet to say goodnight to Cedric, she waited a little longer than usual so to give Livia some time to leave. Sofia was about to knock but she decided maybe knocking was silly. She practically lived there now. When she opened the door she stopped herself, suddenly feeling embarrassed in her cutesy pajamas. Livia was still there, sitting on the couch right next to Cedric.

"Oh Sofia, what are you doing here so late?" Cedric pondered but still retaining a smile from after being told something humorous or pleasant no doubt.

Sofia felt weak then. What was she doing here? She always came here at night to say goodnight to him. Always. How could he ask such a thing? Or had he truly forgotten about it? Was he so consumed with spending literally all day and night with Livia that he forgot about her? Or was he simply implying that she was here later than usual? Sofia felt so underdressed and shy now in front of that woman with her glorious green gown sitting there casually, like she lived there or something. Sofia stood there in the doorway, staring right at him, trying to ignore that this felt strange to her. She told herself that it was nothing. Before they had even become a couple she too had sat on his couch at night, actually slept on it. He was being hospitable, that's all it was.

"I um...I'm sorry I didn't realize you were...I just...came to say goodnight," She piped, her voice feeling small and thin like a ribbon.

"Aww. How sweet of you," Livia stated in an overly syrupy voice, the same kind of voice Sofia often heard when some people talked to small children. "That's very kind of you, little princess, to think of saying goodnight to us."

Sofia swallowed. First off, little princess? She was okay with still being called a princess but little? She was making her feel like a kid. And secondly, us? She meant it for Cedric not for her. Not to be rude of course but why would she say goodnight to Livia unless she... "Are you...on your way out Miss Livia? I could walk you to the carriages, I know it's rather dark out."

"She's just so polite. No, I'm going to stay the night. Your father ever so graciously gave me a spare room to sleep in."

"...Oh... well I hope you sleep well..."

"I will of course, how could I not when I'm surrounded by such incredible people?" She smilingly said, turning toward Cedric who had not really moved an iota, his smile was still frozen in place.

Sofia decided to do something, she stepped into the tower and started walking towards Cedric, she was going to kiss him goodnight, that's what she always did.

"Dear what ever are you doing? It's late you should really be in bed," He told her.

Sofia stepped back. What was she doing? Didn't he know? She wouldn't be pushed away even if he didn't mean it. Minerva sat there on her perch watching this all unfold. She didn't like this Livia woman, didn't trust her at all, something about her wasn't right, and she was getting in between Sofia and Cedric. There had been, ever since she showed up, something wrong with the way he acted, it was like he just forgot Sofia existed or something or that he didn't care for her as much. Something was up and Minerva was determined to figure it out for the sake of Sofia. That's what any proper familiar would do, protect the person they were assigned to. Sofia got in front of him, put her hands on his shoulders, and moved closely. It would be odd to kiss him so close to another person but she felt no shame in it. However he moved forward and gave her a hug, stopping her from kissing him. He pet her head as if she was still a little girl.

"There, is that what you wanted so badly?"

"How adorable. She can't go to bed without a hug. The poor duck. Hopefully now you won't have any bad dreams. Now then, you ought to go to bed, little one."

Sofia escaped his grasp, staring wide eyed at them both. She couldn't believe what just happened. Every night she kissed him and said goodnight, he knew that. Why was he acting so...coldly? So strangely? He seemed to be treating her as if she was just a girl, not his fiancé at all. It hurt her that he was ignoring her now. Before she could say honestly he was just busy and trying to be a good host but now...Sofia couldn't take the way that made her feel, to be petted on the head like she was his niece or something. He had not done that to her at all not since she was young. He was usually bursting with fervor and love for her, unable to stop himself from kissing her or touching her even if someone was looking. Now this? On top of that he said nothing in her defense at being called little so many times. She was short, of course, but being called little felt somehow demeaning. Her lip quivered.

"Cedric..." She whispered sadly. "Aren't you forgetting something?" There was a thread of hope in her voice.

"Oh! Of course. Sorry. Goodnight Lady Sofia."

That was it. She shook her head slowly and ran out of the room, her hurt spread within her. Lady Sofia? He did not call her proper titles like that unless maybe in front of her parents. Was she truly now becoming something dull to him? Something unimportant now that he had someone in his life who was a true magic user and beautiful too? She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. He had struggled so much for her, told her she was the loveliest person he had seen, promised his heart to her, told her to never doubt him, and HE was always the jealous one. With certainty he wasn't doing this to hurt her. But then what was wrong with him? Why was he treating her like this...like she was nothing to him? Sofia collapsed onto her bed, biting back any tears because she was telling herself it wasn't true.

It was impossible! He loved her, she knew that, he was still wearing the ring on his finger. Something wasn't right...there was no way he would do so much in his power, face her father even though it frightened him, almost die for her, kiss her so sweetly, beg for her forgiveness, and then turn around and do this. It just didn't make sense at all. Then to call her by that title when everyone in the kingdom knew they were engaged. He had no reason to be formal. Her mind troubled her with it all night and she barely slept a wink because of it. She didn't even have the strength to go down and eat breakfast in the morning so it had to be served to her in bed but Baileywick noticed the rings around her eyes, the sleepless look, the yawning, and how she was picking at her food. It upset him deeply. Sofia always had a healthy appetite and always went to sleep promptly and woke up early with a smile on her face. She looked miserable.

"Sofia...what's wrong? Forgive me for saying so but you don't look yourself."

"I didn't sleep at all last night."

"Are you feeling sick? Bad dreams? Please tell me, as the house steward it's my job to make sure you are in your best mood...but as your friend, I'm concerned."

"Thank you Baileywick but it's nothing you can do anything about. I don't know if anyone can. I'm not sure I even can..."

"There's something you can't do? That surprises me. You have a can do attitude about everything. What is it you think you can't fix?"

"If I tell you, you have to promise me you won't say or do anything about it."

"Sofia I...if it's detrimental to your wellbeing I have to do something. I'm...starting to get the feeling this is about Cedric. Am I right?"

She nodded sluggishly then yawned loudly. Baileywick released a long slightly agitated sigh.

"Please don't think anything bad about him. I don't know what's wrong yet and that's why I can't fix it."

"Something is wrong with him? Is he...okay? I mean he seemed fine last night, a little blank but fine."

"What do you mean...blank?"

"Well he's so expression full and he always had this I don't know, air about him. He seemed sort of...without his usual characteristics. That's why I say blank, he just stared through me and smiled strangely. I thought nothing of it at the time..."

Sofia, though deprived of sleep entirely, still had enough pep in her to think. It was true, he did seem odd, the way he spoke wasn't with his usual spark, it seemed far off and that included his stare. His eyes looked somewhat glassy and even the way he hugged her was stilted, like he never hugged before. It was like one of those odd automaton things she had seen Jade's dad making, just lacking any human emotion but trying to fake it. What did this mean exactly? She tried to rattle her brain awake, she needed to think! She delved deep into her brain trying to get at what this was adding up to. That's when it finally hit her. She had seen this before, many times in fact.

In stories and in real life she had witnessed this. Hypnosis. It was a powerful sort of magic spell that makes the person the spell is cast upon like a living puppet, doing whatever you tell them to do. That was the only explanation that made sense...only he seemed to have some free will so maybe it was a different type of hypnosis but it was that nonetheless. It just had to be! The strange talking, the glazed over eyes, the robotic movements, and him treating her as he did. It all fit together. Now that she was certain of it she had to think of who was the puppet master. This had all started when Livia came around and she was a sorceress after all but what could she stand to gain from this? She was from a kingdom they were friendly with and she had never met them. She had no reason to be this way.

There was no other person that made sense, she was there, close enough to be pulling the strings, and powerful enough to manage it. It just didn't feel right, there was nothing in it for her. It also didn't make sense at all. Why Cedric? And why make him like this towards her? Why make it seem like he was divulging from their love for this new woman, if that was in fact what she was doing? Just to upset Sofia? But why? What did she do to her? She could think of nothing but it didn't matter the reason, it had to be her. Sofia wasn't smart enough to break that kind of spell and didn't know how or what the rules were. That would be in Livia's spell book and she was sure it was always on her person or near her.

If not it was in Brightland but who knew where? Not every wizard had a tower so Livia could be staying anywhere in that large castle and Sofia didn't have time to search every room and every single book. It would take more than all day, it would take a week at least. She needed help from powerful magic users and luckily she knew a lot of them. She wondered if this woman knew that Sofia knew so many people like that and if she knew she had the amulet of Avalor too. She had to have known at least that maybe. But she couldn't be after that, she would have hypnotized Sofia. Whatever the case Sofia knew now what she had to do. She had to save Cedric, just as he had saved her many times. It would be difficult and perilous and dangerous but Sofia was used to such matters. She would do anything to help set her love free from this awful curse and make things right again. What Sofia didn't know was that it ran far deeper than that and her troubles and the danger were only just beginning.


	25. Chapter 25

There had been no time to waste, Sofia needed to act and act quickly. She couldn't tell anyone about her secret mission or else she'd blow her cover to Livia, who was spending the night yet again. She had to act natural. She waited patiently until the evening and claimed she had something she had to do, a protector duty was a good enough excuse to leave for a long period of time. She hated lying even for a little bit but who knows what would happen if Livia found out she was trying to break her spell? More than Cedric could be in trouble then.

The person she had to go to before anyone else was the most powerful person that she knew. Merlin. There was no one better for this than him, he knew everything about everything. He was not called the wizards' wizard for nothing so if he couldn't help no one could. That didn't mean Sofia wouldn't try other sources but this was the person at the top of her list. She flew over to where his home was but did not use any transportation that involved people, just Minimus who she left outside the tall building. When she knocked on the large wooden door she knew he might not immediately open it, he was always involved with something.

As she stood outside waiting for an answer she heard wings flapping in the distance from behind her. It sounded like a larger bird. She knew Merlin had an owl, just as she did, so she was not worried but she looked behind herself anyways. It was not Archimedes, as she had assumed, but it was an owl nonetheless- Minerva. She landed on Sofia's shoulder.

"Minerva why are you here?"

"Same reason you are, dear," She explained, "to help with whatever is wrong with Cedric."

"How did you know?"

"Animal instincts. Now then with that out of the way, let's head on inside. It's been a while since I've seen the great master Merlin but I could never forget him."

Sofia tried knocking again but to no avail and then decided, since it was an urgent situation, she'd just let herself inside. The door was unlocked, Merlin had no reason to lock it as he could protect himself from any intruders he did not like. He was also an inviting person, his home was welcome to all. Sofia's voice echoed in the empty room before her. Magically he appeared before her very eyes in a fine mist of blue. He was wearing a jovial grin almost hidden behind his thick white facial hair.

"Ah hello there! This is a nice surprise. What can I do for you, Sofia?"

"I'm afraid I'm not here for anything nice at all. I have a serious situation at my castle that is beyond me and I knew you could help with it."

His smile dropped and he seemed more serious. Merlin placed his hand behind her back and led her to his study. "It must be a dire circumstance for you to have come searching for me. Tell me all about it."

"You see I don't know if you knew but I'm engaged to Cedric."

"Yes he told me. He wanted me to officiate the wedding actually. I had no problem with it, he's a fine sorcerer and a good man. But...what's wrong? It's not just pre-marital stress obviously. It's something to do with magic then. Is Cedric under some kind of spell?"

"Exactly! He has been acting so odd, not himself at all. He looks right through you and talks differently. He's usually very witty and sharp but he's not like that anymore. Worst of all he's being well almost unkind to me. Not cruel or evil or even entirely mean but not warm and loving. It was so upsetting...he was treating me like I was a child again."

"Oh that does sound quite awful. I'm sorry you have to go through this especially with someone you care for so deeply. It sounds to me like some sort of hypnosis."

"That's what I thought! Only it's so strange... it's not like full hypnosis. He seems to have some free will at least."

"Whoever is doing it isn't the most powerful magic user, they most likely cannot control him as much as they thought they could. Cedric has years and years of magical blood within him and a lot more potential if he dared to seek it out. Someone like that isn't easily controlled. Do you have a clue who could be doing this?"

Merlin opened the door to his study and ushered Sofia in. She sat down immediately when he gestured to the small chair. His study was exactly as it was last time, disorderly but tidy and full of things she had never seen or didn't understand yet. His pet owl was deep asleep and only awoke when he heard voices. Archimedes was not like other animals Sofia had encountered. He could talk to anyone. She thought perhaps he was enchanted that way.

"I say what's going on here? Can't an owl get some rest?" He crankily whined.

"Hush now, Archimedes. I have an important guest with a lot of trouble on her hands, so please stop squabbling," Merlin demanded, placing a kettle on top of the stove. The owl harrumphed a bit, fluffed up its feathers then saw who the company was. He liked Sofia enough to not be rude to her so he stayed quiet. He also didn't want to appear ungentlemanly in front of both a woman and a female owl. "Now my lady, you may continue."

"Right...well I only have one suspect. This all occurred after Cedric took in a new apprentice from the kingdom of Brightland. Her name is Livia but I have no idea why she would do such a thing to me when I have never even-"

"Livia you say?" He interrupted but without disrespect. Merlin turned to her with a bushy arched eyebrow, pouring the kettle of water into two cups without even looking. Sofia nodded yes to him.

"That's her name. Why? Do you know her?"

"I pride myself on knowing all sorcerers and sorceresses, young and old. Livia however is a name I haven't heard in some time. Are you sure that's her name?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm..." he mused, bringing her a cup of tea which she gladly took in her hands. It was comforting in these trying times. Merlin sat in his tall blue chair and sipped the tea after blowing on it. His face looked both confused and concentrated. "Sofia I'm not sure if you are acquainted with the four sisters of Sinestra."

"I've never heard of it. Is it a story?"

"It is, and a true one at that. It goes that there were four sisters of a place created long ago called Sinestra, the birthplace of bad wizards, hexes, curses, and all things negative within the world. It's like the magical opposite of the Mystic Isles, which is a place of pure magic and harmony. Of course sometimes bad things do come out of there but it isn't common. Anyhow the four sisters were supposed to represent one of each of mankind's greatest weaknesses. You've already met one, Morgana, the sister of vanity. There were three others one represented greed, one represented envy, and one represented anger. As far as I know they are all still around, which includes this Livia, the sister of envy."

Sofia placed her cup down slowly. Morgana and Livia were sisters then but that wasn't the grandest idea that came from that. It was that they were the embodiment of all the things that made humans turn to the dark side, all the traits deep within every person that made them into villains. She had no idea there was a place where evil came from and she thought of Vor, the mother of all evil beings. She wondered if she created this land, spreading corruption everywhere. Sofia also was curious where it was and if there was a way to destroy it because a place that full of spite and wickedness should not exist.

"No Sofia, you cannot destroy it," Merlin answered, reading her mind which made her look up surprised. "It would break apart the delicate balance of the whole universe. There has to be darkness for light and bad for good. Every world in the cosmos, every planet, every place has evil in it and there's nothing we can do but face it when it comes for us. I know the concept seems far beyond you, but that's just how the world is."

She had never had so much put into her head until that moment, she had never thought that for happiness to exist there must be hatred and sadness and all other feelings that weren't positive. She thought maybe it did make sense, even if it wasn't going to lead to the most perfect world in her mind but nothing is perfect, not even the isles were. Everything had a flaw and that's just how it was. It took brave people like her, like the protectors, like the good fairies, like the fairy godmother, like Merlin to save the world from it and keep the darkness away. It would always be there but they stopped it from taking over entirely and Sofia felt more purpose in life than ever.

"Wait... Livia is envy made into a person then, right? That would mean she's jealous of something...that's why she's doing this but...it can't be she's jealous because I have Cedric. Can it?"

"No, but it's a good guess. I think there's something bigger than you two going on here but I'm not sure what it is. Something in me is telling me this isn't just petty jealousy over a man. There are ways even a simpleton could bewitch him. She's not that weak and she's not that stupid either. There's a plan here but just what is it? What does she want so badly? Even if we break the spell we'll never know and she can try again. We also need proof she did it but for that we'd need her wand."

"How will that help us?"

"I know of a way to see what her last few spells were, if I can find the hypnosis spell was used that's our proof right there. Just breaking her wand won't break the spell, there needs to be an incantation but Sofia...it's very complex. A junior in training like you couldn't pull it off, it's almost impossible."

"I'll do anything to save him even the impossible. I won't let anything stop me. Please, teach me what to say. I'll just do it when he's sleeping, she won't be there then."

"I applaud your bravery but don't be so certain about jumping into these things. Doing something this powerful even for a great magician could singe your fingertips at the best. Also Sofia, she most likely has some sort of eye on him, perhaps she too has a familiar," Merlin acknowledged, nodding towards Minerva who had been alert and listening the whole time.

She would usually be sleeping at this hour but sleep could wait. This was far more important than that. Minerva told Sofia she had never seen any animal come in or out or be around Livia and Sofia relayed this back to Merlin. He was not shrugging it off so easily.

"Familiars come in all shapes and sizes, some can even shape shift. It could be as tiny as an insect and you'd never know. I don't want to discourage you but I want you to understand what you are dealing with here. This isn't going to be simple, it may even scar or damage you, on top of that we don't know the full extent of her plan. She could do anything, even a weak hypnosis spell could force Cedric's hand to do well...something unpleasant to you."

"I'm not afraid of any of that. I still mean what I said, I'll do anything for him and if she means to do worse to anyone else that I love I will do anything for them too. I love him and I know somewhere under that spell he is the same person as before who loves me. He might be suffering and hurting and yelling out for me but can't do anything. Please, I'm begging you, please," Sofia pleaded.

Merlin sat back and pressed his fingers together, looking at her straight on then let out a sigh as he closed his eyes tightly. His voice sounded gravely and soft at the same time. "This world needs you Sofia, I can see that much, so I don't want to make you do anything that would harm you. That being said you are desperate and desperation leads to panic and poor judgement. I'd hate for you to go to someone else to learn the counter spell. What if I did it instead? I could transform myself into a smaller animal and sneak right in without notice and it wouldn't harm me at all."

"Listen to him Sofia, there's no need for you to do it all by yourself," Minerva advised from her shoulder, also not wanting to see her be in any trouble.

"I know what you are trying to do, and I appreciate it, and I know it's the safest alternative but it makes me feel helpless and useless. I want to have some part in all of this. I feel so powerless...and I'm letting other people fight my battles. I don't mind help but...I want to do something."

Merlin held her hands gingerly in his own. "I know. I know. You are an exceedingly strong girl with a rare gift and a light that shines through you making even the darkest place light up. I don't doubt you can do many things but this is very important. If you want it done right the first time you have to let me do it or else you might get it wrong. We can do it together then but let me handle the most difficult part. You get her wand, I'll do the spell."

Sofia smiled softly and agreed with this conclusion. This was the best way to do these things and if they split up things would get done faster. It would be difficult because for one she would have to get her alone enough to take away her wand or stealthily get it while she slept or some other way. Then there was another thing, finding her familiar and getting it out of the way so it wouldn't spy on them. They had no idea what it looked like or where it could be or if she even had one. Maybe she was just using some type of spy spell to keep watch on him. The point was no one knew what to expect and there were a lot of dangers in the way and a lot of them were unknown dangers. Another thing was something that kept bugging Merlin. He just couldn't help feeling like they were both falling into a trap.

Merlin transformed himself into a small blue bird, easily confusable to the untrained eye as any other blue bird friend Sofia might have. With him there with her she calmly went inside and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Minerva had since flown away to go back to her perch but she did not allow herself one wink of sleep. She kept close watch on Cedric and this Livia. She didn't act any differently in private and Minerva could not recall when she would have done the hypnosis spell. Most likely at night or at a time when no one was around or looking. Minerva wondered if this Livia knew she was able to talk to Sofia and didn't act out of sorts so that Minerva would have nothing to report. She must have known something to that extent for there was no other reason to keep up the charade.

Still Minerva didn't close one eye. Sofia debriefed no one on her situation, not even her pets who all seemed curious at the unusual blue bird she was toting around. They asked her about it but she didn't answer. She couldn't let anyone know for risk of someone hearing her. The day progressed so slowly for her, it was as if time itself was teasing her in some way. It was hard to fake a sense of calm when you had so much going on inside your head. When night came it was time to finally act upon the plan but Merlin made sure to carefully turn Sofia into something small but not too small so she could grab the wand without being noticed too much. So as a cinnamon colored mouse Sofia scurried around, trying her best to blend in with the darkness.

Finding out where Livia was staying was easy enough but now was the hard part, getting her bejeweled wand away from her without being noticed. Stealthily Sofia crawled through mouse holes and found a way into the bedroom. The only reason she didn't turn into small Sofia was because she would be too obvious to anyone who was watching or looking. A brown mouse was far more conspicuous. Sofia made as little noise as possible, only treading on soft things like carpet so her nails wouldn't make scratch the surface. Quietly as she could she made her way through the dimly lit bedroom, noting that Livia was indeed actually asleep or at least was very good at pretending if that was the case.

Now came something that would prove challenging, finding her wand. It could simply be on her person or it could be in the clothes she wore that day or in any of the drawers and boxes around. Trouble was mice don't have fingers so opening up drawers would be hard especially if she wanted to be silent. Luckily for Sofia her keen eyes spotted a wand sized box right next to the bed on the nightstand. As a mouse it was easy enough to get up on the nightstand but once she got there she noticed the keyhole on the box. It was locked tight. There must have been a key somewhere. Sofia's blue eyes peered through the dark trying to find a key and she did, hanging right off of Livia's neck. This was going to take a lot of skill and precision if she wanted to get it off without disturbing her.

She got onto the bed and slowly crept up to the snoozing woman, holding her tail up high so it didn't make any noise. One paw at a time she made her way ever closer and closer until her one paw could almost touch the key. Sofia held her breath then she began to gnaw at ribbon that the key was on. It felt weird to be chewing on fabric like that but she would chew through steel if it meant saving Cedric. Somehow she had gotten the key successfully, now holding it between her buck teeth, tasting the strange metal flavor on her tiny tongue. It was heavy and hard to carry like that but she dealt with it and kept her head up and her teeth tightly clamped on it. One false move and it could drop making a loud sound.

Sofia had to use her head to think of how to actually unlock the box with no hands. Turning her head she was able to ever so gently put the key into the hole securely and now she had to forcefully nudge it so it would turn. It worked but the unlocking sound made Sofia turn her head and see if it awoke Livia. It appeared the sound was just loud to Sofia's small ears for Livia didn't even move a little. The wand was right there, sparkling like it was tempting her to take it. It was a little difficult to slide out but even more so to hold since it was elongated. This also posed a problem for the mouse holes were just wide enough for her head but not much more. There was nothing for it, she had to place the wand carefully on the ground and using her nose push it into the hole once inside there was a little more room but not too much. She'd have to drag it backwards and thankfully the hole she used to get to this room was a straight shot out into the hallway.

The other mice helped her out as much as they could, lifting up the other side and telling her how much farther it was until she was at last out. She thanked them quickly then ran as fast as her little legs could carry her through the hallway and up those stairs. It felt like forever and a day just getting up one step with the, for her size, massive wand in her mouth, but she didn't care. The struggle was worth it knowing how close she was to saving him. She wondered if Merlin had already done his work and if Cedric was alright.

At about the same time that Sofia went off Merlin had gone off too, flying high into the sky and using Sofia's directions he was able to locate the open window where Minerva usually flew in and out from. He was no fool, he landed on top of the roof just above the window and transformed into something so small not even Minerva and her big eyes could spot him. He made it under Cedric's door with ease but didn't start the spell on what appeared to be the slumbering man. He looked around and tried to see if there were any sources of magic about that didn't feel like Cedric's, anything malicious.

When he felt secured in the fact that there was in fact nothing there, he thought it fine to transform into himself now. At his full height now he pulled out his wand, cleared his throat, and began his incantation. The winds shifted around him as he did so, the lights flickered, and his hands felt a tiny pinch of numbness in them. If that's how it felt for him he could scarcely think about how it would have been for a mere novice. Surely her hands would be burned and possibly permanently. He knew of such a case happening, young magic users should never do spells that are far above them. It could kill them even. Thankfully he was seasoned in that field so this was nothing for him. As the wind made his tunic and beard flow to the side he muttered out the words of old. Breaking hypnosis that was done with a wand was harder than anything else.

Usually in other cases one would only have to break the object but not in this case. It COULD work but it could also force him to stay like that for much longer. Breaking a wand was serious business. The counter curse was spoken and once it was done, the dust settling, the lights coming back on, Cedric bolted up from the bed and let out a ragged deep breath like a man coming up for air. His eyes that were glassy and almost foggy were clearing up, slowly dissolving into the normal golden brown they always were. He blinked rapidly, still breathing as if he had run a marathon and coughing violently. He seemingly did not notice Merlin who stood there until he pat his back hard trying to help him out.

"There there now lad. It's alright."

"M-m-m-Merlin?!"

"In the flesh! How are you feeling right now? Everything alright?"

"I-i-i don't know what happened to me...it was like watching a twisted performance of my own life that I couldn't stop no matter what. My veins felt like someone was yanking them in a direction I couldn't control and my lungs and heart were on fire. When I talked it was as if...some creature crawled into my mouth and stole my voice...I didn't want to say those things to Sofia...or do those things to her...Sofia! Where is she?! Do you know where she is? Is she alright?"

"Easy, easy. Calm down, Cedric. It will all be fine. Take a deep breath in and release. Good now another. That's it. Now then I'm sure you have a lot of questions but right now they can't all be answered. Let's just say a certain purple wearing lady came to me for help and here I am."

"...Sofia..."

"She'll be here soon. Let's go downstairs, she can't open the door by herself I'm afraid in her current position."

"What do you mean?" Cedric inquired, still trying to get over the fact that this legend was here in his bedroom and seeing him in his pajamas of all things! He had never been under anyone's influence before but when it happened he knew someone had put some sort of spell on him and just who did it. It had started out so pleasant at first, a new friend, someone to teach, it was going so well, but when she excused herself and came back he was a different person. He swore before he changed he heard her whisper something, perhaps that's when she put on the spell. It was not his fault in any sense, ignoring Sofia the way he did and worse, but he still felt horrid for it. Watching her face that other night, betrayal almost, defeat, heart break, confusion, hopelessness, and more were all over her. He wanted to break out of his tight shell and tell her that this wasn't him doing these things.

When she left hurriedly he let out one solitary tear it was all he could manage in his state. The red headed fiendish woman just dabbed his tears with a loving smile but he could see behind that. He cursed her in every way and language he knew possible for doing this to him and swore if he could ever get released from this curse he would get his revenge. He was frightened of what else she would make him do, if she was just getting started, if she was slowly going to break down Sofia day after day and then...He shuddered at the thought but she could have easily made him hurt Sofia. Images flashed in his head of what happened with Lord Alexey but it was him instead, and smiling at it as if it pleased him. He'd kill himself before he did that even if he had no control over it.

Thankfully no such drastic measures were taken or anything else. He didn't know if Sofia would understand what was going on, there was a lot she didn't know magic wise but he hoped and prayed to any deity Roman, Greek, or made up that she would know. He would never ask Sofia to save him but in this case he had no one else that could. She was his only hope. Somehow his prayers were answered and now he was free from that awful living nightmare before things got worse. As he made his way downstairs he thought he'd never dream that Merlin would be the one to save him but he knew why. His clever fiancé had come to the man for assistance, knowing he knew all there was on magic, he literally wrote the book and was to date one of the oldest living sorcerers. He felt then Merlin was more his hero more than ever, now in a literal sense as he had saved his life.

Cedric could scarcely make it out but there were small scratching sounds coming from the other side of the door. "Ah that will be her! Good timing too."

Now he was confused. Why on earth would Sofia be scratching at his door like some animal? It wasn't until his door was opened that he understood. There was a chestnut colored mouse holding Livia's wand in its mouth and breathing as hard as he was before. He knew it was Sofia without a shadow of a doubt. He had seen her transformed into various animals and she always kept something about herself on, usually a tuft that looked like her bangs and of course those brilliant blue eyes. Merlin bent down and took the wand then transformed Sofia back into her normal self. Cedric couldn't contain himself at all and ran to her, nearly crushing her against his form, and kissing her with so much force that her teeth almost scraped his. It shocked her but it was confirmation that he was alright, that everything was alright now.

Merlin cleared his throat. "Hate to interrupt your tender moment but we do have other things to attend to."

Cedric blushed vividly and so did Sofia, crinkling up the hem of her dress shyly. "Right," Sofia agreed, touching her lips a little, "What do we do now?"

"Well that's just the thing isn't it? Do we tell your family what happened and have her sent away or do we confront the woman herself? Which do you think is best? Either way I'm not sure we'll get the whole story out of her."

"After what she did to me confronting her would be too nice," Cedric heatedly remarked.

"I know you'd like to get back at her for this but that's not the way of a good wizard now is it?"

He meekly released his crossed arms and huffed. "I suppose not...but we can't let her get away with this!"

"Indeed we can't and we won't. I think confronting her would be best, she's powerless and can't do much to fight us off. I can always use the binding spell if she tries to escape. Sofia could you lead us to her room?"

Sofia told them she'd be glad to show them the way but as they left she couldn't shake off this sinking feeling like something was wrong. This was far too easy even with some of the little difficulties here and there it was simple. Perhaps Livia wasn't prepared fully for someone like Sofia yet, someone with endless resources and powers. Sofia would like to tell herself that, given Morgana was very easily taken care of. However Sofia knew how jealousy worked and the pursuer would stop at nothing to get what they wanted so whatever it is she desired she'd make sure she got it. Problem was what did she want exactly? It couldn't be something so basic as a lover and if it was an item of value, like her amulet or jewels or gold she could get any of those other ways. It almost seemed she was doing this just to spite Sofia but why? They would find out when they confronted her, though she might not tell the whole truth.

Merlin was prepared for that and Cedric was too, they both knew of a potion that could make one tell the truth if it came down to it. They made it to the bedroom without incident and Cedric used an unlocking spell to open the door. However when they pushed it open they were greeted with a shock. The room was entirely empty as if no one had ever stayed there. The bed was unmade though and some drawers were pulled open. It appeared as if she was awoken and saw that her wand was missing and went about gathering things to leave.

"She must have known her jig was up and fled the scene," Cedric supposed, going over towards the bed slowly and noticing the green ribbon that was carefully chewed in half lying there. He picked it up and looked at it. "Yet again you put yourself in a lot of danger Sofia. She could have woken up and saw you, even she would know who you were in that form."

"I know that but I came into this well aware of the risks and willing to take them. Wouldn't you if it was me?"

He smiled in spite of himself. "You are correct but then again when aren't you?"

"Did she leave a strand of hair on her pillow that we can track her by?" Merlin inquired, surveying the scene.

A little bit of red hair would be easy to see but Cedric could find nothing. It was as if she had known she would be tracked and made sure not to leave any traces behind. Now they seemed to have no leads on where she was or where she might have gone. Going back home seemed an open option for her but it wasn't the best option. She knew Sofia would look there first and tell the king and queen what she had done. If she went back at all it was to get more things, perhaps even another wand. No good or bad spell caster alive had only one, even Cedric had at least five simple ones in case of emergency. This would give her an advantage over them should she face them again and who knows she might be cooking up an even meaner spell.

"I feel there might be something worse at hand here. She could be gathering up her other sisters and though one of them is perhaps easy enough, especially if I was to use the dragon claw wand, taking them all on would be no simple task. The sister of anger, Ira, is the most powerful and the most wicked. We could be facing quite the fight but the problem is not knowing. At best she's hiding and worst she's got something more than we can imagine up her sleeve."

Sofia then remembered about her whichway bow, it having been recently fixed after being broken on one of her duties, and pulled it out to find where Livia had went. The arrow spun and spun then shot out towards a southern direction, leaving a trail of almost sparkling dust. Sofia looked at the trail left for them to follow with confusion.

"South? That's where Brightland is...but...why would she go back there? I just...have a bad feeling that's exactly what she wants, for us to follow her...I don't know why but that's what I feel."

"I've been feeling the same way actually, but what choice do we have? Sit and wait and see what she does? She didn't just use hypnosis and then vanish after she was thwarted," Merlin spoke.

"No doubt on that, she never truly felt as if what she wanted was me but whatever it is she wanted she could have gotten...unless it was something far bigger. Something she couldn't just take...I know that kind of mind...I was that person once. It's not some pocket sized emblem, no token she wants. For whatever reason I have a sneaking suspicion what she wants is this land."

"Are you certain of this, lad?"

"Unfortunately I have a lot of experience being...on the wrong side of magic and there's very few things people want in this world. Whenever someone tries to get at Sofia it's either for her amulet, her kingdom, or both. Power is what they all want in the end more than fame, more than fortune, more than anything else."

Sofia pondered on this and went through each of the villains she had faced. He was correct. All of them wanted her kingdom or her amulet and nothing else. In that way they were all very predictable, she could be assured someone would want those two things from her. Her amulet seemed the most powerful thing in the kingdom to steal but if one wanted just to rule, just to have dominance, then the kingdom was what they were after- like Princess Ivy or Queen Vor. Both didn't seem to care about the amulet much. Sofia wondered why it was always Enchancia that they wanted to rule when there were other places; Sumeria, Freezenburg, Corinthia, Wei ling, Khaldun and many others. Then she recalled something that was told to her not too long ago.

"If she wants my kingdom it's not just because she wants to rule it...there's something else. I was once told that the reason it's called Enchancia is because it was first made by and inhabited by enchanted beings like sorcerers and such. It has a massive magical energy around it and someone like her would want that."

"You're quite right. Why I was around when it was made, so I can confirm this is true. So no doubt she would want this place. Now we have a reason but what does it have to do with Cedric? Why him and not the king?"

"Maybe because Cedric is directly tied with this land and he's the only truly powerful magic user in the castle," Sofia explained, holding onto her amulet with her small hands, it seemed to shimmer or glow softly in the moonlight. "But I can't answer for all the reasons why but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we capture her."

Cedric had a million questions to ask but most profound was what Sofia meant. He could date his family back quite far and all of them or almost all of them resided or started out in Enchancia, at least on his father's side. His mother came from another kingdom, Grimshaw, but lived most of her later life in Enchancia. Still he never knew of any of them being directly a part of Enchancian lore. He wondered about his own family and himself but as Sofia said none of it was a concern. They needed to capture Livia and figure out what the real truth was and why she seemingly gave up so easily. Cedric explained to Merlin that this wasn't his fight and that he didn't need to stay.

No sense dragging the man into their business and he had done enough already. He understood that well enough, he had done his part, but he wished to be of some service. With him on their side it would be a lot easier to take her down and if she had reinforcements, they'd need him too. It was complicated, it truly wasn't anything that should concern Merlin but in some way Sofia reminded him of his old charge and he wanted to protect her. He knew that Cedric would do that, with all that he had, he would never let anything bad happen to the princess. Those four sisters were not anything to be trifled with and he had faced one before. It took the most powerful wand in the world, Cedric's family wand was the 4th strongest, to defeat her. However Sofia had handled a lot of evildoers just by herself with no outside help because she was clever, quick, logical, attentive, and ready for action.

He had to trust in her but he told her to bring Minerva with her because if anything went wrong the bird could find him or find some other help. So Cedric changed his attire, Minerva came along and they rode on Minimus and a winged Dusk to their destination, following the trail. As they flew together, their horses going at their fastest, they wondered just what would happen when they got there. It still felt, to all parties, like they were flies willingly going into a spider's web.


	26. Chapter 26

The trail was leading them seemingly in the direction of Brightland. They assumed Livia was stocking up on supplies. Hopefully they could catch her off guard and apprehend her before things got out of hand. They landed swiftly and dismounted but the sorceress was not in sight. However the sparkles seemed to be leading around the castle. The duo spoke nary a word to the other and Minerva stayed entirely silent too as they snuck around the castle walls.

They didn't have time to warn the king, queen, or any of the guards if they did they might lose her in the process. In the shadows they could vaguely make out a small house of sorts with a tall pointed top like a witch hat. Under the moonlight they saw the big emerald gem glistening on the front door. It was definitely where Livia's workshop was. A silhouette passed by one of the windows quickly but it was a woman's figure that much was for certain. She was still there which was good luck for them. Too good even in Sofia's mind. She should have already been gone, grabbing one wand doesn't take that long. It was as if she was biding time or something.

Whatever she was up to they had to put a stop to it and now. They readied their wands together, Cedric stepping a little more in front of her, and approached the door cautiously then unlocked the door and came right inside, wands pointed right at the figure. It was indeed Livia standing in her living room appearing as if she was searching for something frantically. Her orange hair was a little disheveled but she seemed not surprised at all to see them. Her dark shiny green lips smiled at them smugly.

"Well if it isn't the little princess and her...lap dog."

Cedric sneered at both of the insults used. He had hated hearing her call Sofia little when in his hypnotized state. Even if she was small in size it was incredibly rude to call someone that, especially a royal. Sofia's face scrunched up into one of anger. She did not like Cedric being equated with an animal or beneath her. He was so much more to her than a servant and he always had been.

"I must say I wasn't expecting guests so you'll have to forgive the state of my abode."

"Enough with the idle chit chat, Livia! I'm already tired of hearing your annoying voice."

"How rude! After all the fun times we had together, Cedric?" She put on a fake sad voice and pouted, bringing a hand to her chest in offense. "All those precious moments we shared?"

"You know it wasn't real. None of it was real. If I knew what you would do to me I would have sent you packing the day you came to the kingdom! Now drop the act and your wand. It's over, you're through. You are far too weak to take on two people."

At this a flash crossed her eyes, a flicker of true anger that faltered her façade. Her mouth twisted into a scowl and her eyebrow twitched. She let out a scoff and rolled her eyes.

"You truly think that child is some match for a true sorceress?" She questioned sharply, waving a deep leafy green wand around.

"Watch your tongue, woman," Cedric seethed, a fire in his eyes. He was truly angered anyone would still think of her as a child. True fifteen was young but by their laws she was already a woman and thus should be treated like one. He was sick and tired of this person already for what she had done to him and now the insults she used on his beloved. "And yes, she is a match for someone as low leveled as you are."

Again it was a near subtle change from looking confident to looking furious and outraged, however she pulled herself together easily enough. She swished her wand then tapped it on her open palm twice. "It is true, I am not some magical marvel but that will change soon enough, dear Cedric."

"Don't you ever call me that, ever! You haven't the right to even say my name after the stint you pulled!"

"Oh did I do something wrong?" She bat her eyelashes and put on a fake innocent voice and demeanor. "Hmm. Can't recall in the slightest what I've done that's put a bee in your bonnet. Oh wait...yes, I remember. I used the hypno spell on you. Whoopsy daisy!" She shrugged nonchalantly, pacing, more like casually strolling, back and forth. "I thought I was doing you a favor. You should want to be with someone of your own kind not...well...a little girl."

"She is not a little girl!" Cedric roared back at her, sick of all this back and forth talk. He was about to strike her just for saying that alone. In his culture for a long time it was unheard of for magical beings such as he to get with unmagical beings. A wizard should find a lady wizard to be with and a sorceress a sorcerer. That's just the way things were. There were half wizards but they were always a little frowned upon. Now a days not so much, though some still held these holier than thou ideals of a pure perfect world with no halflings whatsoever. It appeared Livia was one of those.

"We've had enough of you and your cruel words, Livia. We are here to stop you and nothing you can say or do will get in our way of doing just that!" Sofia proudly claimed, undeterred by insults. She could call her anything under the sun but Sofia was not going to let that get her down.

"Oh did I hurt the poor baby's feelings?" She mocked with a whiny small voice, putting her hands on her knees. "Tell me did your heart hurt when you thought for a moment your precious sorcerer was going to leave you for me? It must have been so sad thinking you weren't worth it at all. Even now you have that doubt in you, that you can't compare to a real spell caster."

"Don't listen to her, Sofia. She's just trying to rile you up. I've had it up to here with your insolence! Entrapio!"

Out of Cedric's wand came a long rope but Livia moved quickly out the way. Instead of tying her it tied up her lamp. He tried again but yet again she moved just in time. Sofia, still not caring about whatever was said to her, helped him along. She knew a couple capturing spells and used them with him. There was only so many places she could go before they caught her. Of course she could just poof away at any point. Why wasn't she? And why wasn't she fighting back? She had a wand right in her hands and was not doing a thing about it. Sofia stopped her spells and told Cedric to stop as well, leaving Livia standing there amongst tied up furniture and ropes lying on the floor.

"Oh are you giving up already? Have you finally seen that you aren't any match for a real-?"

"You're just stalling," Sofia claimed, interrupting her entirely with a perceptive hard stare. A slow wicked smile spread on Livia's face and her eyes glistened like two emeralds. Sofia put away her wand and started to back up. Livia had meant to lure them here, it was a trap after all. She was just doing this so someone else could have time. That meant there was another mastermind in this ploy. Sofia came to this conclusion quickly and worried about her kingdom being in peril. If Livia had teamed up with someone else and she did in fact want to take over Enchancia then they were letting the culprit get closer to that goal while they stood here. Cedric realized this too, they were being led on a wild goose chase. Still they had to take care of Livia too, she was a part of it and if they left now that would mean leaving Livia to be free. They were stuck between letting one villain get away or another. For now they would have to deal with this one.

"Oh so I see the princess does in fact have a brain. Bravo. Now then with that out of the way you two won't be leaving to go warn anybody! I won't have you ruining my plans anymore!" Livia announced, raising both of her hands and starting to magically close the windows and lock them one by one. Without any thought Minerva left quick as she could through one before Livia could do anything about it or notice. She knew this is what she had to do, what Merlin sent her with Sofia to do. Go and get help. Clearly she couldn't warn Enchancia, nobody there spoke to animals, but if she made it in time to Merlin they could warn them together. She just hoped that she would not be too late. Cedric was never more happy to have Minerva than he was at that moment.

Livia didn't seem to care at all about the owl leaving. In her mind it was just a bird and couldn't do much that could save them now. It would be useless and besides she wasn't going to waste energy and magic trying to stop it anyhow. What was important was keeping these two here for as long as she could while the more powerful components of her team got together. Once all doors were locked and windows sealed she had them trapped there, at least for a while. She knew at least Cedric could unlock them all with just a flick of his wand but she would distract him and stop them both entirely. She had just been playing around thus far but she had a secret weapon up her sleeve that none of them knew about.

"I'm afraid I don't have any more time to play with you, princess. Besides its way past your bedtime. I think you ought to go to sleep, don't you agree, Hissette?"

Neither of them had any idea what she was talking about or who she was talking to but neither one put their guard down one solitary moment. Even though they kept both eyes on her she didn't move an inch, she just stood there smiling. Not attacking at all still, just frozen in place with her evil grin. Suddenly Sofia felt a sharp stabbing pain in her leg, it was rapid but felt like two thick needles jabbed into her. The pain from it surged through her veins causing her to let out a shriek and drop her wand immediately. Cedric could not spare a moment with Livia once he saw that Sofia was in agony. That's all that mattered to him at the moment. He knew he was letting his guard down now and that was a bad thing to do in front of a wicked person but Sofia needed him.

She was clutching onto her leg with a tight face displaying nothing but anguish. She let out a small cry of distress then fell to the ground with a thud, stiff as a log. Cedric's wand dropped too, right now it didn't matter. Nothing else in the world mattered but Sofia. His heart dived deeply once she hit the floor and yet broke at the same time. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was still open in a silent scream. He tried rousing her but to no avail. She was completely still. His Sofia was not moving a single inch no matter how hard he shook her and it caused him to panic. He didn't care a bit who he was around it couldn't be helped he started to cry.

"Sofia...please..." He weakly called out, lifting her up from the ground and seeing her hand go limp. She felt like a ragdoll in his hands. Sadness and grief coursed through him fast as lightning and yet with it came rage such as he never felt in his entire life. He was shaking and the tears were pouring out of his eyes. That wench of a woman, she had done something to his darling and given how lifeless she was... He looked up at her, she was as calm as could be, now just smiling with her green lips at what was before her. His eyes blazed with both hatred and despair at Livia.

"Don't look at me like that, Cedric. I'm not so heartless, I'll let you join her."

Cedric in blind anger leapt up from the ground, carefully laying Sofia down beforehand, and immediately went over to Livia so he could tear her apart with his own hands for what she did. He would have gladly done it with no remorse on his part, she had taken away his Sofia, she had taken away the only thing that he cared about in this world and for that he would end her life. He couldn't though because he too felt a stab in his leg and just as quickly succame to the pain that flared throughout him. With his last breath, squeezed through pained windpipes, he called her the worst name he could think of calling her.

"Now that's just uncalled for," She responded, watching him fall flat on the ground and his eyes closed slowly. The last thing he saw was her standing above him, petting a jade colored snake fondly. He was surrounded by darkness and filled with agony for many reasons. His Sofia was gone now and it was his fault for dragging her into this. Why didn't he just go alone? She didn't have to come and fight but now it was too late. He could hear his heart throbbing, broken within his chest, calling out her name. In his madness, during what he supposed was his own death, he swore he heard Sofia's voice calling his name back.

He followed the sound of it, thinking she was leading him to the hills of Elysium where they could be together now but instead of that he found a bright light that wasn't any heaven. He had opened his eyes now, the pain that had coursed through him was gone though his leg still stung. He was...alive? He realized he was chained up to some kind of stone wall and in some sort of dungeon. He could faintly hear rats and bugs scurrying about and the slow dripping of water. However there was something else he heard, something he thought he had made up. It was Sofia calling his name accompanied with the rattling of chains. He turned to his side and his heart sang loudly. Sofia was right next to him, also chained up but that wasn't the first thing that went through his head.

"S...S-Sofia... you're not..." He couldn't get the words out, he shuddered and let out more tears of both relief and left over depression. For a moment there in his life he thought he had lost all that was right in his world. The thought alone and the joy of finding out she was okay made him cry. "Thank the gods..." He whispered through his sobbing.

"Oh Cedric please don't be sad, I'm not hurt," She begged with her gentle compassionate voice. She did not like seeing him this way at all but she understood why he was so upset. It was like she had been when he got struck by Fadile's zap. She had wished she didn't have to put more imagery of death in either of their heads again but it seemed the people they dealt with lately were of the most evil sort and sought to not just get them out of the way but to permanently erase their existence.

"Yes please don't," Livia's voice retorted from off to the side. They both turned to her and saw her standing at the bottom of the dungeon stairs, holding a small candle in her hand, lighting up her face causing her to look less beautiful and more creepy. "It's unbecoming of someone of your stature."

"You sneaky vile condescending foul repugnant despicable wretched-"

"I'm still a woman and your mother should have told you not to speak to ladies like that," She cautioned, looking at her nails without concern.

"You are no more a woman than I am the king!" He screamed at her, moving so violently the bolt holding the chains to the wall shook. "When I get out of here I swear on my life I will eviscerate your sorry-"

"Hate to interrupt again but you're utterly boring me," She said with a yawn. It was then that he noticed, Sofia couldn't see Livia that well from where she was shackled but knew it was missing, the amulet was being twirled in the other hand like a toy. "I see you've noticed I have your pretty jewel princess, not only that but I'm not so stupid that I left you with your enchantlet either. I'm well aware all protectors wear one. It really wouldn't matter though, there's no way out of here. I do hope you enjoy your stay, this was our finest suite in the castle."

"You mean we're still in Brightland? How did nobody notice you taking two bodies with you to the dungeons?" Sofia questioned. She was upset that her amulet was stolen but more so that this situation she was in seemed like she couldn't escape from it.

"I have my ways, you nosy imp. Now then, I have a kingdom to overthrow."

"Don't you mean we?" Another voice called from behind her, stuck in the shadows. It was a male voice for certain so that eliminated her sisters at least...for now. Once the person stepped out of the darkness it was revealed who it was. It was the last person anyone would guess, someone Sofia had almost entirely forgotten about at this point. The dethroned Lord Reginald. He stood there with an arrogant nature displayed in his smoky grey eyes and on his curved mouth.

"Reginald...? You're behind all this?"

"So glad to see I left an impression on you enough to remember my name, girl. I suppose it won't do me any harm in telling you all about my plans. Who are you going to tell anyways? The rats?" He ended his comment with a short laugh, Livia joined him in their wicked glee. "Ah you see, 'princess' once you left, I was thrown in here and I used my time to plot and scheme my next move against Enchancia. Livia has always hated the royals of that land."

"Yes," She added on, "I've always disdained the mortals who lived upon the greatest magical land mass in all our realm. It was started by those with magic blood and should have been inherited by them. But no, we were relegated to be playthings for royal children and entertainers of kings and queens alike. It's disgraceful to our kind. I'm only taking back that which was ours to begin with. Besides it's too much power for the likes of you all to have. I should have it. All of it."

"This is what she told me when she found me in the dungeon one day and from there, we made up our plan. She would put a spell on Cedric and then she would let herself get caught, here. She knew you would chase her down. While you were being distracted I was gathering the troops to attack Enchancia and they are already on the move as we speak. I don't care who attacks them you see as long as they go down so I didn't mind it being all magic users and malevolent fairfolk. They could have the land for all I cared, I just wanted to eradicate those who sat on the thrones. Livia's sisters have all joined.

Morgana was sad that she didn't get to dish out the punishment on you two. Said you've been a thorn in her side. Oh well, it doesn't matter in the end. I only wish you could see the destruction of your once proud kingdom but not to worry you will be reunited with your family soon enough. You will all rot here in the dungeons once we use our forces and I become the rightful king of Brightland. Maybe I'll have a bit of mercy and turn you all into mindless slaves for me. I could always use a maid," He explained, grabbing Sofia's chin and making her look at him. "You'd do just fine."

"Get your filthy hands off of her you contemptible cur!"

"And you, you could make a fine court jester but oh...that's what you are already isn't it?"

Cedric growled at him and tried to lean forward, thrashing more in his confines but it was no use. "You conniving son of a-"

"Ah, there's a lady present. Have some manners and show some respect to your future ruler. Well then I best be off, can't miss the faces of good old King Roland when he sees the gift I've brought for him."

"Tata ducky," Livia called out, merrily following behind Reginald up the flight of stairs, both of them laughing maliciously into the darkness. The door slammed so hard it made the walls reverberate the sound for a whole minute. Sofia let out an exasperated sigh causing Cedric to look over at her. She looked defeated which is not something he was used to seeing and hopeless too. What were they to do? Livia had the amulet and the enchantlet and even if Minerva flew her fastest she wouldn't make it but she was their only hope.

"Don't give up now, love. There's got to be a way out of here."

"Where Cedric and how? I know I'm usually optimistic but I see no way out. I can't call anyone to come and help and Minerva can warn Merlin but even Merlin would be no match against an entire fleet of magic users. Besides which he doesn't even know that's what he'll be up against so I don't know if he'll bring others with him. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Sofia...but it's not like you to lose hope. We have to at least have that if nothing else."

"Hope for what? My family is defenseless against them and Merlin can only take on so many by himself. Even you and Callista had to help take down Morgana and that was WITH the dragon claw wand. Now there's three more and who knows how strong they are plus they have an army. I'd only have hope that he could bring more wizards with him. My dad...my mom...Amber...James...they are all in trouble and I'm not there to even be with them. What if they win? What will happen to my animals? What will happen to the soldiers and the servants and the villagers? I hate to think about them all coming to a fate worse than being jailed..."

"Sofia...I'm not giving up just yet. You've taught me that much. No matter how bleak the situation is there's always a ray of hope. Always."

"I don't see it...not anymore...," Sofia glumly admitted, hanging her head.

Cedric was distraught to hear those words coming out from her mouth. Sofia never gave up or lost hope. Sofia always saw a way out and thought positive. It took a while but she had finally been broken down to the point of just resining herself to failure. He frowned deeply, wishing he could hold her, caress her, even just touch her fingertips but alas he was too far to even do that. If this was to be their end he wanted it to be holding her, comforting her in this hour of need. He sighed deeply, hanging his head as well. Perhaps it was as she said, perhaps the villains would win and perhaps they were doomed. He didn't want to think that way but as the minutes ticked on he grew more and more sure that sooner or later he'd be seeing the royal family dragged down here to be chained up too.

He'd have to watch them all of them including his Sofia slowly but surely wither away that's if they didn't just use them. This was worse than with Queen Vor because Sofia had the amulet then and other people. As they were both settling into their hopelessness they heard a noise off to the side. At first they thought it was just an animal running about but then it became louder and more obvious. It sounded like bricks being moved. They turned towards where that sound was coming from unsure of what was happening now. They could see the floor beneath them shake a little and the bricks pushed upwards and to the side, leaving a gaping black hole. They both hoped there wasn't some type of earthquake causing a disruption or perhaps the floor was just unstable.

However that was not the case at all as they saw hands peeping out from the hole, small delicate feminine hands. The hands belonged to a body which was being lifted upwards and out of the hole with a slight groan. It was a girl, younger than Sofia but as blonde as Amber. She was dusting off her pink and purple dress and complaining about the pesky rats and how she didn't like them. A small golden orb exited the ground and appeared next to her, glowing brighter in flashes as it went towards Cedric and Sofia, seemingly alerting the girl to them. She turned towards them and exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh! You are in a fix, aren't you?"

"I'm...confused...are you a prisoner that's escaped?" Cedric asked, befuddled by the fact a child had been imprisoned and had escaped too. She laughed a little at him.

"No of course not. I'm sorry allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Eilonwy," She stated with a curtsy. "Your amulet sent me here to help, Sofia, and you do appear to need it badly."

Sofia and Cedric gaped, stunned at the sudden turn of events that seemed to be in their favor. "But...how could it have sent for you when I don't have it on me?"

"It was on you when it called for me it just it took a while for me to get here and find you. Besides I had to wait for those two to leave," She said, nodding her head towards the stairs. The glowing orb floated towards the keys left hanging on the nail by the stairs and pulsated. "Oh good you found them! We can get you out of here then."

"I...still don't understand... why did the amulet send someone so, and no offense here, young?"

"Well sir, it's because I've been in this situation before. Not so long ago I was nabbed by a wicked evil creature known as The Horned King. He sought to rule the world and thought my bauble could help him find the tools to do it. However I was clever enough to get out and saved my friend. It was thanks to me and me alone that we both got out, even though I'm just a princess and I'm young. I think Sofia is proof enough to tell you neither of those things means you are incapable of fighting battles or getting out of sticky situations."

Princess Eilonwy grabbed the keys and headed back over to them with a small smile on her face. "You should never give up hope Sofia," She told her as she unlocked the chains from her hands then her feet. "I never gave up on my mission to save the world even when things looked their blackest and all hope seemed lost. In the end it was hope, courage, friendship, and love that got us through those dark dark times."

Cedric was now freed and almost instantly went to Sofia so he could hold her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and her forehead and everywhere he could think of kissing her. He knew time was of the essence but he needed to do this. He had almost lost her and almost gave into the thought that they would be forever trapped or slaves for the rest of their lives.

"You're right...I did lose hope back there...and I shouldn't have. I remember I've done it a couple times but each time I did I found the strength to carry on and the will to persevere. I won't ever doubt again. I should know help is always around the corner when needed most and that there is always a way out even if it isn't clear at first."

Sofia turned towards her, about to thank her, and only saw the floating gold orb, bouncing up and down before popping like a bubble leaving a faint golden outline of itself. She smiled to herself. That princess was very similar to her and she had done the most at the most important time yet she was so small and so young. It gave Sofia more hope than ever that they could indeed get out of this alright. First things first was to get out of here entirely. If they were lucky there would be no one in the kingdom that could stop them because all the evil doers were on their way to Enchancia. Then perhaps they could finally warn the king and queen and hopefully get to Minerva and Merlin so they could explain the situation. They would also need wands, since theirs were stolen, unfortunately. Cedric's family wand could have been a big help to them at this time and now it was in the wrong hands.

"We have no time to waste, we must get out of here and warn the others!" Sofia exclaimed. "We can grab Livia's other wands and use those. C'mon let's go quickly now."

He nodded and followed her along going up the stairs. The front door at the entrance was unlocked and unguarded. Either Livia was overly confident or she wasn't too bright to remember to lock it too. Either way they used it to their advantage but quietly opened it just in case. They exited from the basement but were confronted with another door and this time it was guarded but the guards were from Brightland. They banged on the door to get their attention, telling them who they were and that they weren't meant to be locked up. They only seemed to turn around because they were confused as to how prisoners had escaped but then they saw the princess, a face they recognized, and immediately went to open the door, fumbling with the keys.

"How on earth did you lot get in there?" One of the guards questioned when they were both out.

"It's a long story and one the queen and king must hear. Quick as you can, show us where they are! We must speak with them!"

"I'm afraid they are both asleep at this hour, your ladyship."

"Please you must wake them up! This is an emergency! Their kingdom and mine are in grave danger! If you don't do something soon my family, my whole land will be destroyed!" The young princess cried out in distress.

The guards seemed in shock hearing this and immediately went to showing them the way. They all hustled along as fast as they could towards the royal bedchambers and when they got there the guards knocked hard upon the door waking up the apparently grumpy king. All that it took to get him going was that it was urgent news from Sofia and the king immediately went to the door, followed soon after by his queen, who was modestly covering herself in a robe. The two of them saw Sofia and Cedric there looking panic stricken and before they could even ask they both explained in depth what was going on. There was a look of horror on their faces hearing that not only had their royal sorceress betrayed them but had released Reginald and that they were going to demolish Enchancia.

"How did you ever escape?" The queen asked, flustered.

"We just had a lot of luck...and hope," Sofia answered. "But right now that isn't an important issue. We need to hurry! They could already be there by now!"

"Sound the alarms! Call the guards! We need every knight in the kingdom and surrounding kingdoms!" The king announced and immediately the two went to do it dutifully.

"That will be of some help but we need magic help too. We have to go now, we have a lot of people to get to and fast!" Sofia quickly explained and then started towards the outdoors. Cedric followed after without hesitation. The first thing they needed to do was locate Minerva and Merlin. The two stole two wands from Livia's stores easily enough then boarded their flying horses and flew into the sky quick as a flash. At around the time Cedric had awoken from being bitten by Livia's deadly, but not poisonous, pet snake, Minerva had finally made it to Dragon Hold, Merlin's home. He left his study window open usually for his own bird to fly free from but he also left it open just in case and he was glad he did. Minerva flew straight on in almost knocking over everything that was on the table but being graceful could wait for another day. This was of the greatest importance. Merlin didn't even need to be told something was wrong, he knew what it was and he immediately grabbed the wand he required.

"We need more than me to accomplish this though. I'll have to call the W.A.N.D"

"The what now?" Archimedes asked sleepily from his bird house.

"The wizards army and national defense, oh what does it matter?! We must go go go! Time is of the essence, Sofia's life and her land are in danger. We cannot let anyone take over that kingdom, they will use its magic for nefarious purposes and we cannot under any circumstance let Sofia's light go out!"

Merlin stormed out of his tower with Minerva in hot pursuit and Archimedes coming with too. He supposed he might as well and he wanted to look at least somewhat brave. As Merlin went about summoning who he needed to, standing right outside his tower sending up flashes of colored light, Sofia and Cedric had escaped and told the king and queen. Now they were on there way over to Merlin but even at the distance they were at now they could see the bright colored lights shooting up into the sky.

"What's going on now?"

"Not to fear, dear. Merlin is just contacting the W.A.N.D. A brilliant idea by a brilliant man."

"Oh...is this some type of magic group?"

"Exactly so. They are a union of magical fighters that are always ready to protect their world when it needs them most but they need to be called to do it. Consider them like your royal army, they can't just go out into a random field and start a war, they have to be commanded and told. So Merlin is sort of like their general. If anyone can help us, they can."

"That's just what we need! But do you think it will be enough? We could still ask for the fairies and elves and witches."

"It should be plenty. Trust me on this, they've gone through huge wizarding wars before. However if it makes you feel any safer you can go ahead and go get the others while I go with Merlin."

"I think I will, just in case. We can't be too prepared and it doesn't hurt to have more people. It might take me a little bit of time though."

"That's fine with me, the farther you are from all this nasty business the better. I would prefer you not to take part in this at all. I...could have lost you today...I won't let it happen again."

"I have to defend the Ever Realm and my people not to mention my family. If you happen to do it all on your own that's great but when I can, if I can, I will join. I have to do this. Besides remember I have a protection ring," She remarked, showing off her hand with the twinkling ring on it. "So you'll know if I'm in need of help. I know we will come out on top. We always have."

"And we always will," Cedric replied back, lacing his hand with hers. He gingerly pulled her as close as he could, given that they were still on flying horses, and leaned over to kiss her. "I love you Sofia, you're the bravest warrior in all of Enchancia."

"We both are. I love you Cedric. Please stay safe. I'll be back soon."

"You too...be careful alright?"

"I will be."

Sofia flew off going to get more help from the other sources while Cedric joined Merlin and his group. Sofia had an endless supply of people she could gather the trouble was getting to all of them. She trusted in the wizard army and in Cedric but she wanted to make sure without a shadow of a doubt there was no way they would lose. Her first stop was to go to the witches, they were the fastest option, then she would go to the elves the second fastest option, and she'd gather her protectors too, if they haven't already been alerted by others.

On her way she went forward with nothing but happy thoughts to fuel her so that she wouldn't become overcome with the weight of this entire situation. She thought of her future with Cedric, happy times with her family, the funny jokes, the smiles, the hugs, the times she played with Clover, the adventures she had, the stories she helped, the people she met but more than that she thought of the ending of all this. She kept a burning hope inside of her that this would all end alright, that no one would be hurt. As long as she kept it burning, she knew that they would make it and that they would succeed, and this time she would not lose hope. She promised it.

Getting to the witches was in fact the easiest task on her list to do and she employed only the good variety even though, thanks to Lucinda, a few not so good ones like her mother joined the group. They all went on broomstick towards the kingdom while Sofia headed off to Elvenmore. Once there the elf king sent out his finest archers and swordsmen that he could spare as well as any who could do magic. Now it was time for her to go to the isles to gather the protectors. She made it to the Mystic Isles just fine and instantly hopped off Minimus as fast as she could to go find them all. Everyone was there, Orion, Vega, Chrysta, everyone, and that was a good thing because she needed all of them and then some.

"Sofia, what's going on? There's something stirring in the Ever Realm. Do you know what it is?" Vega inquired.

Sofia explained from the beginning but rapidly about Livia, about Reginald, about the four sisters, and about Cedric. They all knew even if it wasn't their realm, they had to protect it anyways. Any evil had to be taken care of. Those that can fly flew and the others got there other ways. The winged fighters were called by Vega, Chrysta found powerful faes. Garrish called giants, even ogres. Centaurs, dryads and elementals, griffins, hippogriffs, and all else all joined in, all following behind Sofia, riding their way into battle. As this was going on Cedric had joined Merlin who had summoned almost all of the W.A.N.D. Spell users came from the north with icy powers galore, from the east with ancient traditional oriental magic, from the south with charms and spells and talismans, and the west where some of the strongest lie. Every person from islands, kingdoms, castles, and caves came that could. Once they were all gathered Merlin bid them to quiet down so he could tell them what he summoned them for.

"My friends, my fellow wizards, enchantresses, mages, and shamans alike; today marks another day in which we must all band together to fight for the world's balance between magic and non-magic, between good and evil. As we speak the Enchancian kingdom and its inhabitants are under siege by the sisters of Sinestra and many others who fight for the side of the wicked. I ask you, I beseech you to join me and my colleague, Cedric, to save this kingdom, save the land where magic thrives, save the people who live there, some of our very own people, and save the family of Lady Sofia. Who is with me?"

Everyone lifted their staffs or wands and cheered loudly. Not a single one among them disagreed. It made Cedric proud to be a part of this group, to be considered a colleague of Merlin, to be fighting for his kingdom, for Sofia. He would do all he could to end this madness so that at last Enchancia could remain in peace. They flew, they transported themselves, they magicked their way there. Any way they could go they went. As they made it there, they took notice of the broomstick flying women and warlocks, they took notice of the elven archers, they took notice of some others arriving, even a genie seemed to have joined the cause.

Sofia's friendship and kind heart had brought all these people here to fight for her, to fight for her land, to protect this castle. Sofia made it with all of the group to her kingdom and just in the nick of time too. The front doors of the castle were being blown open and the troops who worked for Reginald and the rest were going to barge in but she wasn't about to let them step one foot into her castle. She landed right in front of the large group of people, standing regally in their path with her hands outstretched in front of her. Minimus, though small as could be, reared his wings and showed off his fierce side, kicking the ground with his one hoof like a bull ready to charge.

"STOP!" She shouted out loud. "You will not make another move! This is my kingdom, my home, my family, and I won't let you take or hurt anyone or anything there!"

Reginald was near the helm of this battle, sitting closely around him were four women, of which Sofia recognized two-Morgana and Livia. There was one who was round in body shape with messy hair and a yellow dress washing out her skin tone. The other had fiery red hair but there were oranges and yellows melded together in it. Her eyes seemed red too and so was her clothing, black and red everywhere like a molten volcano. Sofia could assume which one was which just based on appearance. Reginald threw back his head and laughed and soon everyone joined him. Sofia was not budging, not crying, not pouting, not doing anything that would make her appear weak. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"Oh how precious! You think you can take us all on by yourself? I don't know how you got out but it was almost worth it for that joke. If you don't move aside we will crush you in our path. I have no qualms either way but do the smart thing and just back down."

"Never!"

All the commotion got the attention of the guards who were patrolling the perimeter of the castle and had not noticed anything until now. Sofia quickly told them to gather the rest, to run and hurry, and to make sure the rest of the staff and her family were safe. Without any questions her faithful soldiers did just that but it seemed to only make Reginald laugh some more.

"Pitiful little humans can't stop us," The red eyed woman, assumedly Ira, supposed, flexing her long sharp black nails. She looked like some type of creature not a normal woman at all. "But it will be fun watching you try."

"Perhaps you are right, humans alone can't stop you which is why I brought a little help. Alright everyone, attaaaack!" Sofia commanded, pointing at the group in front of her.

That was their cue and from out of nowhere it seemed they were being stormed by all manner of beasts from flying polar bears to wild mountain cats and all other subhuman creatures too. Now they had no choice but to direct their attention to the others and fight back with them. Sofia urged Minimus to go and protect the horses and stable but he was worried about her more than them. She mounted her friend Wilfred the wombeast and told him she'd be alright. It took some convincing to get him to go but he did, after promising her he would not only defend the other horses but the other animals too. Sofia was about to rush into the heat of the battle when she heard some commotion behind her. When she turned around she noticed her entire family was trying to rush down the stairs and get to her but they were being stopped by the guards who were telling them to go where it was safe.

"Please listen to them. Mom, dad, Amber, James, you have to go! This isn't a safe place for you."

"It's not a safe place for you either, Sofia! You need to be with your family let the others handle this!" Roland called out to her.

"Yes please! We don't want to see you get hurt," Amber pleaded but Sofia was not listening.

"I have to do this! It's my job as a protector!"

"Then I'm coming too Sof!" James proclaimed. "It's a knight's duty to protect his castle!"

"No! You all have to stay inside, please. I'll be fine, trust me."

Sofia didn't have time to sit here and argue with her family all day so instead of doing that she just left them there, the wombeast bounding into the fray and faintly hearing her family call her name. She did not like doing this but she had to. She yanked on Wilfred's fur to make him go faster and tell him where to turn. She made him do a sharp turn to the left and found her way to the small warehouse outside where James kept his gear. There she found one of his many swords and picked it up. It was heavy but it would have to do for now. She brandished her sword letting it shine in the light, a beacon to all that she was not going down, not today, not so easily. It didn't matter if she had no amulet, no enchantlet, no magical powers to contend with the rest, nothing besides one little bit of protection. She would fight. She would fight even if it was to the end but she knew it would not be to the end, at least not her own. It would be their end, of this she was certain because she would make sure of it. That was her job, that was what she was born for, to protect people she loved, with or without the amulet. She was Lady Sofia of Enchancia and she would use her light to extinguish the darkness once and for all.


	27. Chapter 27

With the shining silver sword hoisted above her head Sofia charged into the frenzy. She had a wand with her too but she didn't just want to rely on magic she wanted to prove she could hold her own without it. She saw around her a flurry of faces, bodies moving quickly, weapons of all sorts being used making the noise surrounding her sound strange. Then as she looked up she saw more were coming, the witches were just about to be there and they already seemed to have wands at the ready. Sofia would have perhaps preferred Lucinda to not be there but she knew she was capable and she, like Sofia, wanted to prove that. She had helped take down Vor's crystal minions, she could handle herself. Lucinda was concentrated and firm and by her family's side and with her Lily, Indigo, and Wendell had even come.

Wendell was bouncing a red smoking object in his hand with a somewhat twisted gleeful grin before throwing it down upon the large crowd. It burst as it hit the ground exploding on contact into a red powder that gave the witches the element of surprise when they attacked. It also deterred the villains for a while, it only seemed to work on them as everyone else was unaffected by all the coughing. Sofia could just make out Wendell high-fiving the three witches. Sofia smiled and using the red smoke she was able to find one of the bad guys who was disoriented and started battling with him. He could barely keep up because he couldn't see all too well but that wasn't going to hold out for long. Wendell had used a displosion sphere, it was able to only affect those who apposed you, but it didn't last long.

Sofia wasn't aware of this but it wasn't a concern to her anyways. It gave her a foot up but she would have to do the rest. Grasping the sword between two gripped fists she swung it swift and true clashing against another sword. Once the smoke thinned the enemy was able to fight back. Sofia grit her teeth and gave it all her might to keep up with him, swords clanging together in the night. From the sky rained down a barrage of arrows directly hitting the vagrants with perfect precision, such as only an elf could accomplish. One whizzed past the man she was attacking, only just barely grazing his shoulder causing him to look for the shooter which gave Sofia an opportunity to strike. She was able to use the blunt side of the blade to smack his hands causing him to drop his weapon. When he did she quickly picked it up and pointed both hers and his at him.

He seemed to just be a fighter, not a magic user which meant when faced with this situation he left quickly, most likely going to find a new weapon now that his was taken. It was too much for her to carry two different swords so when she was able she gave it to another one of her cohorts so they could use it. Now she was left with just the one and sought out a new opponent. A raging minotaur seemed to be the one who would take her on next. He was tall, he was muscular with beady ferocious eyes, large teeth and horns, and dark colored fur. Sometimes minotaurs were not so friendly and could be coerced to easily come to the dark side so it was no surprise seeing one there, rampaging like a mad elephant with his nostrils flaring. It was so much bigger and stronger than Sofia but she would not be deterred. It had a large ax and tried to attack her with it but she defended herself from the oncoming swing.

The ax weighed down upon the sword trying to overcome it but Sofia pushed it with all her might away from her face. He kept using his overpowering strength to push it down further and he was certainly a mighty being which meant inevitably he was able to take it over but Sofia slid her sword out and away, making his go to the left. It narrowly missed her face, slicing through a small layer of skin on her cheek leaving a long thin scar. She left it there bleeding on her face as she furrowed her eyebrows at the minotaur, a determination shining in her eyes. He swung the ax again but this time with more force and purpose and Wilfred jumped backwards out of the way. Each time he swung he only hit air and Sofia, using her gymnastic skills, was able to bend back to avoid it and Wilfred was able to jump quickly out of reach.

It hit the ground on the next try and because he used so much power in that swing it got stuck deep into the dirt causing him to try and pull it free. Now was her chance. She raised her blade but just when she was about to strike she felt her hair, clothes and sword being tugged on by what she could see were midnight sprites, nasty little things that were the enemy of pixie kind. Each one was solid black and whispy, like a shapely smoke cloud with eyes and a smile. They giggled with mischief as they halted her attacks but not for long as one got zapped by some sort of magic spell and went flying. Soon they were all zapped and zooming off into the distance. Sofia looked towards where the spells were coming from and saw Cedric making his way over to her with remarkable speed, having been alerted of her danger with the ring. He joined by her side, wand raised and uttered something that caused the minotaur to float in the air, he spun him fast around and around then like a catapult he sent him hurdling far away.

"Are you alright?" He asked with great concern, holding her by her shoulders.

"Yes I'm fine, thanks to you. Are the rest of the sorcerers here?"

"Yes and valiantly using every spell known to man to stop these miscreants. Sofia...you're hurt..."

She touched her cheek and realized she was still bleeding. She had been so in the moment she had not noticed it at all. Cedric did not look pleased at that in the least, he looked perturbed if anything. He procured a bandage for her magically and placed it with sincere gentleness on her cheek, wiping it off with a handkerchief from inside one of his pockets. He sighed deeply at the fact that she had gotten wounded and it could have been a lot worse. He shook off the imagery trying to worm its way into his head about if that beast swung his ax any closer. It made his stomach turn sour and his skin feel cold.

"You're out of your ever loving mind being here and taking on a minotaur too! Sofia go inside, you've fought enough."

"And leave you here by yourself? No I won't do it. Let's both stay and fight together, side by side. I still have my wand so even if my sword is taken from me I will have something else and you there too. With you by my side we can't lose."

"Oh...I just...I...alright but you stay close to me at all times, you understand? And for now you should dismount the wombeast. I can't keep up with it and it's probably better off away from here anyways."

"I guess you're right. Wilfred shouldn't be put in harm's way," She agreed, getting off him. She stroked his face, kissed his nose and told him to run far away and find somewhere to hide. He licked her face, nuzzled her, then bounded off. "Alright then let's go."

"Stick close to me, okay?"

Sofia nodded and the two went into battle together. Their numbers were great and vast, far more than the opposing team, and with their combined strength Sofia's team could easily overtake them. Merlin was facing off with Morgana yet again, Gourmilla, the sister of greed, was taking on a giant, she was a decently tall and large woman, Livia was fighting off a warrior of the isles, and Ira was taking on two wizards but it appeared that even two against one was a challenge. Ira was, as Merlin told them, the most powerful of the four because anger was the most powerful of all human emotion. Anger was a part of jealousy, that's why the two looked somewhat similar but anger was still intense. Anger caused the most irrational of behaviors and like a fire it incinerated everything.

Ira was furious causing her red eyes to glow and her hair to whip about her like a flame. She let out heated groans and grunts of aggravation as she attacked the assailants. Sofia and Cedric both knew that if they wanted this to be over they had to get rid of all four sisters but Merlin had one covered which meant three and Ira would be the biggest challenge. The duo headed over to where Gourmilla was, she was the closest to where they were at. They would take her down first. The soon found themselves flanking the side of the giant, ready and willing to use their wits and skills to defeat her.

Cedric was the first to make a move, ensnaring her feet and yanking hard causing her to tumble down which left her vulnerable to the giant above her who picked her up off the ground like she was no more than a small plaything to him. Her wand was left on the ground as she was carried off, leaving her without a way to fight off the giant. That was one down two to go, and one of them they knew had that dreadful snake, which explained why some of their group were lying stiff on the ground but it was just one snake and it could not bite everyone. If they stopped Hissette that would mean taking away Livia's powerful sidekick, leaving her with only her less than stellar magical powers to protect herself with. The problem was for its size it was very fast.

"Sofia do you recall the stand still spell?"

"Yes of course I do. Oh...I see!" Sofia brandished the wand and waited for the snake to show itself again and then once it did she knew what she would have to do. Hissette did make herself known eventually and tried to blitz over to its new victim but it would not be biting anyone again.

"Stopisium!" Sofia cried out, aiming her wand at the slithering fiend making it freeze right in place, mouth open and fangs bared. Livia saw her precious pet was frozen, as frozen as it made the people it bit, and saw who it was that did this to her beloved reptile.

"You!" She hissed, much like her snake, pointing a green painted nail at them. "This time you won't get away with just being locked up. I will destroy you both!"

"The only one who is going to be destroyed here is your army, Livia!" Sofia claimed, taking out her wand which Livia recognized instantly.

"You little thieves! Couldn't face me on your own without stealing something of mine?"

"We just saw the opportunity and took it, much like you took Sofia's amulet. Now then, enough is enough! For what you did and tried to do I will take care of you personally. Step aside Sofia."

Sofia did as he said. She knew he wanted to take her on by himself, the witchy woman had humiliated him, derided him and his love, and almost taken away that which he loved far more than anything in the entire world. For that and much much more he would roll up his sleeves and duke it out on his own. He wanted to end her permanently but he would not do that again and especially not in front of Sofia. No this time he would just ensnare her, like she did them. Using a spell that created shackles he was able to force her hands together so she was not able to use her wand on them because the shackles were chained to the ground.

Then he did the same with her feet, just as she had done to him and to Sofia. He thought it a fitting punishment for her. She struggled against her chains but it was no use. Unlike the normal ones she had used on them these were enchanted by magic and only the spell caster could free her and there was no way he was going to. He snatched her wand away from her just in case though. He also found on her person the missing items that had been taken from them, their actual wands, the enchantlet, and amulet were all there and accounted for. Sofia slipped her enchantlet back on her wrist and her amulet Cedric put back around her neck with just as much reverence and love as he did when Vor was defeated.

"I'll get out of this soon enough you wretched child! And when I do you'll be sorry, you and your-"

"So sorry to interrupt but you're utterly boring me," Cedric smartly replied with a fake yawn then left her there waving goodbye casually. Sofia followed behind him, looking back to make sure she was not getting out. It appeared she was stuck there and though Sofia didn't know what spell was used she figured she was stuck there for good.

"Great job Cedric! Now all we have to do is take down Ira...well Reginald too but Ira's the last magical person we have on our list."

"It will be tough but we have more than enough help on our side in case I cannot, for whatever reason, take her down."

"I believe in you and in myself. We can do this."

He was boosted up by her encouragement and using that he felt what she said was the truth. They would be able to do this, somehow some way. They made their way through hordes of people fighting on both sides, dashing through the crowds, pushing their way through until they finally got to her. She was standing there as fierce as could be with a burning blaze in her irises and rage in her soul, taking on the two wizards in front of her with ease. She was engrossed in defending herself which seemed to work out in Sofia and Cedric's favor. If they could strike her while she was distracted then they'd have the upper hand. All they needed was one simple spell to disarm her and then from there she was finished. Without a wand most wizards are powerless and that included her. They both snuck quietly as they could around out of her vision, creeping slowly towards her one step at a time.

So far so good they had not been spotted but just as Cedric raised his wand Reginald saw them and shouted out to Ira to look out behind her. She turned with heat flaring up about herself, roaring in anger at the two who were daring to try and stop her. She saw around herself that two of her sisters were captured and one of them was close to being defeated. She was all that was left. She would make sure that these two who had persisted in trying to thwart all their wicked schemes would be the last left too. She raised her black and red tipped wand to them about to lay down a barrage of furious spells upon them but instead of Cedric and Sofia being the ones to disarm her while she was distracted with the other wizards, the others did while she was distracted with them.

Her wand went flying right out of the palm of her hand and straight into the thicket. She scrambled to try and find it amongst the rubble, tall grasses, weeds and dirt but in her searching she was leaving herself exposed. Sofia and Cedric raised their wands together and produced the same spell making it twice as potent. An iron box was lowered onto Ira with only a slot to see her eyes in. It was something she could get out of if she had her wand but she did not and this only served to infuriate her further. She let out a string of words that made Cedric cover Sofia's ears even though he himself had almost said the exact same things. Anger does make ones tongue loose and the worst phrases slip out because of it. She shook inside the cage, using all her strength to try and tip it over or open it but all she was doing was hurting herself as she tried to be a human battering ram.

All that they had to take care of was Reginald and he noticed that this was the case. He saw the biggest four components of his team, the most powerful members, all were dispatched, he saw the rest of his troops all struggling or taken down because there were well over a hundred more on Sofia's side than on his and much stronger than his own. They had Merlin for heaven's sake and the entire W.A.N.D! Not to mention a dozen or more witches, elves, and things he had never even seen before. How was he supposed to defeat all of them? It seemed there was no way and now more were coming in, the army of Enchancia and Brightland had at last joined in the fight and even if they were just humans they were still imposing humans with weapons, canons, guns even. He realized now he was going to lose and tried to run away while the going was good but no such luck on his part. Cedric yanked him by the back of his collar impeding him from going anywhere.

"Where do you think you're going, hmm?"

"Call off your troops, right now!" Sofia demanded sternly, her wand pointed right at his chest. She may be weaker in magic than any that were here and she didn't know many damaging spells but she could still hurt him. She had a sword too, there was that fact glaring him right in the eye and she had wielded it well.

"Or what?" He asked, trying to sound self-assured and slick and somewhat in control even though he clearly wasn't. It was obvious he was not at all masking his fear well as he was shivering.

"Believe me you don't want to know," Cedric aggressively explicated, digging the tip of his wand into the man's throat. "I'm not as nice as Sofia and I have a whole list of hexes I've been dying to try out. Care to be my test subject?"

"Okay okay! I'll call them off I'll call them off! Just don't do anything to me!" He spinelessly pleaded, hands clasped together, looking directly at the princess, hoping she wouldn't allow him to get harmed.

"Hmm...I don't know Cedric, what do you think?" She questioned, twirling her wand in her hand with a small smile.

He paled immediately as Cedric snickered by his ear. "You're quite wicked when you want to be dearest."

"Please...I'm sorry for what I've done, I mean it! I have misjudged you and your family clearly! It was wrong of me to live in the past, I see that now! I know I don't deserve forgiveness but please don't hurt me! Have mercy!"

"Oh Reginald I was only kidding. Of course I'm not going to hurt you. As much as I may not like you or anyone here I don't like to harm people. It's just not how I am. I'm thankful for your apology even though I know it was only your way of trying to get out of punishment. Regardless of that, you will have to serve time in prison. I don't know for how long, it might even be for life but you knew the consequences when you started this war. I'll think about lessening your time there but it's not under my control. Now please, call them off."

"They can't hear me though, not over all this noise."

"That's where you're wrong. I've just cast the volume increasing spell on you. Everything you say until I move my wand away will be as loud as if you were using a megaphone. Go on then, before I lose my patience."

Reginald shook his head yes so much it was most likely hurting his neck. He made his announcement to his entire brigade stopping the fight and all those involved in it. Witches were paused in the middle of flight, wizards' wands were halted right in the air, the general was stopped right before ordering his battalion. Everything was still as they all turned towards the man seeing why exactly he had called them off so quickly. They could all see it clear as day the two victors standing there, the princess and her sorcerer, who at the end of it all did everything they set out to do when they entered this battle. The cheers and applauds from all the heroes were heard across the land. They had won. After all their struggles they had finally won! It took no time at all to get every single wrong doer out of the kingdom and locked away for good. As for the four sisters, there was something special in mind for them.

They were sent to a far away remote island and there they were banished, forbidden from ever leaving but in case they thought of leaving there was a magical border surrounding the place stopping them from doing so. They were all left wandless and without their familiars, now basically mortal as could be with no way of coming back. Cedric thanked Merlin and the others for coming to their aid but he was surprised when Merlin thanked him, giving him a tight hug and telling him how courageous he was on the battlefield and that he was truly worthy of his title and the role of protecting the kingdom. Reginald was hauled off to the dungeons by the royal Enchancian guards. After all that was taken care of and everyone congratulated, thanked, and goodbyes were said, Sofia excused herself to run inside and check on her family.

They were all hunkered up deep within the recesses of the castle being guarded and protected. When she found them and they opened the door she rushed inside and leapt into their arms, having been worried about them the entire time and thinking about them too. For some reason it felt like years since she had last seen them, that's just how long she was in combat for, but it had only been hours. They all held her, James, Amber, Baileywick, everyone was there holding her tightly in one big group hug. Some of them were crying, which included Amber who was hysterically happy that her sister was safe and sound. They too had all been worried sick about her, after all how could they not be? They last saw her charging into an ongoing war that looked too big even for her. The worst thing she suffered was a cut to the cheek and some scuffs on her knees but she was no worse for wear. She received lots of kisses from her parents and her mother fretted over her, seeing some dirt on her and her bandaged cheek. She told them all about what happened there outside, every detail and they stood in utter shock as she was explaining how she got that cut.

"Whoa you took one of my swords and faced off with a minotaur?!" James questioned, more excited than upset.

"Yep. I did."

"Brilliant! I have the coolest sister...I mean sisters," He corrected seeing Amber give him a sharp glance. "You get what I meant."

She continued her story and they all listened. Her mother above all was horrified about what could have gone wrong and almost felt weak hearing what her young daughter went through. Without Cedric and all the rest of her friends she would have been lost. Suddenly Miranda was very thankful that Sofia made friends with everything that slithered, crawled, roared, or flew and went on so many journeys with her protectors. It gave her the ability to have a lot of people on her side when the time came for it. They were all exceedingly thankful to Cedric above all who had not given up in the fight. He stood there in the entrance way listening to everything and happily sighing as he saw Sofia reunite with her family. King Roland bid him come down and join them, he was family too, and soon it would be literal.

Even though it was just a bit awkward he was included in their family hug but he also felt a warm feeling inside of him and he liked it. The entire family needed to have a good long sleep after all of this, especially Sofia who had done more than any princesses had ever done all on her own. She was so exhausted and she had not even realized it until she had stopped fighting. All the sudden sleep had hit her like a ton of bricks and she yawned repeatedly. Cedric more than happily carried her to her bedroom so she could finally sleep after all the hard work she had done that night. He got to her room and when he did all her animal friends were there looking concerned but also, if Cedric wasn't mistaken, they seemed to look very proud too. He placed Sofia in her bed and kissed her lips gently, whispering goodnight to her.

She stopped him from leaving and pulled him close to her. "Sleep with me here."

He couldn't deny her. He shrugged and magically changed into his sleepwear then got into her bed and snuggled close to her, smiling as he did so. He had never ever slept in a royal bedroom before but he supposed he might have to get used to this too. He thought he could if it meant being close to Sofia, all warm and bundled up together. He realized he was never going to leave her that night, he knew he would end up sleeping next to her because after that entire ordeal he couldn't leave her ever again. He clung to her tight as could be, gingerly kissing the back of her hair, telling her he loved her until he fell asleep. When he awoke it was the late afternoon and they were both still in bed with her still snoozing away.

He was certain the staff was already awake. If he knew Baileywick, and he supposed at this point he did, he would be up bright and early no matter what and get the rest up as well. It didn't matter if they were tired they needed to be working like clockwork and diligently to serve the royals. So as to why the steward or a maid hadn't awoken Sofia was beyond him. Perhaps he was just letting her sleep in, after all she did do so very much last night and it would be terribly unkind of him and impolite to awaken her but Cedric knew it wouldn't be long before he did. The princess had to eat at some point. Cedric counted his blessings though, if someone had seen him in her bed with her he'd be in deep trouble.

It was wrong for a woman to be in bed with another man in any sense before the wedding night. They had already done this, yes, but no one knew but Amber and thankfully she kept her lips sealed. He ought to poof himself out of there before anyone came in. He wanted to lay there and just look at her, watch her rest, caress her cheeks, her neck, feel her softness, breathe in that wondrous floral scent she had. Alas he might not get the pleasure until he was finally wedded to her. He reached over and grabbed his wand, preparing to vanish with a deep unsatisfied sigh, when he felt his sweet princess hold him around the waist and make a dissatisfied mumble.

"Stay," she softly beseeched. He smiled and let out a little laugh.

"Oh Sofia I wish I could, you haven't the faintest idea of how much I want to but I can't and you know exactly why. I'm sorry my sweet but I have to go."

She sighed and started to open her eyes slowly. "...Alright..."

"Don't worry, dear, when I marry you I'm not going to leave you alone. Not for one minute," He promised, kissing her sweetly.

He said his goodbyes to her, giving her one last kiss, and left soon after. Sofia wished things didn't have to be this way. She wondered if she could change the rules but if she did she'd have to tell her family what she'd done. If she did she somehow knew they'd be outraged. She couldn't have that. She'd just have to wait, that's what she said she would do and she would stick to it. Weeks vanished into nothing, the war and Sofia's victory were all anyone could talk about in the village.

Wherever she went people told her thank you for saving them all. They even decided on having a celebration of sorts for her. Yet again she was the hero of Enchancia but she remained humble and also explained she didn't do it by herself. Fall shifted into winter and love sprung out from the cold. Ruby and Jade finally got together with their prospective guys, with their parents approval, Wendell was dating Lucinda it turned out he had a crush on her too, Vivian and Desmond were now dating too, and everywhere she looked people were happy together.

That winter she and Cedric had a magical sleigh ride together with the snow falling slowly onto them and when the nights turned cold he would be with her next to his fireplace, drinking hot cocoa. Soon winter became summer and Sofia attended the coronation of Cora and Oona. Cora was now in charge of bigger matters, the queens right hand woman, and Oona was in charge of keeping the seas calm. During the spring there was a new birth, the birth of baby Callix, Callista's new baby brother. Weeks turned into months until at last it was the most important summer for Amber, she was planning her upcoming wedding in the spring, she would be almost eighteen by the time she was wed and then her coronation would be soon after that. She had planned it just so because she wanted to check two of her biggest goals off her list.

It was insanity for her running around everywhere with Sofia and her friends making sure everything from the color of the icing to the fabric of her tablecloths to the size of the ice cubes in the glasses were in proper order. As Sofia had suggested she would have a wedding themed after the nighttime because she loved stars and it would be in the late evening that way when the after party started the fireflies would be out. She had picked out who her bridesmaids were and Sofia was the maid of honor naturally. She dragged her sister to the florists, to the bakeries, to the jewel room, but the most important thing of all was her dress. It had to be perfect and it had to be utterly utterly jaw dropping. She wanted Axel to look upon her with hearts in his eyes. It would be designer of course, fabrics imported from the finest places, and only the top dress makers would even come close to touching her.

She had eventually decided on three out of the hundreds of wedding dresses she tried on to show her friends and sister. Sofia liked them all, Hildegard picked dress one, Clio picked dress one because Hildegard did but she really liked dress two. In the end it was up to Amber not anyone else what dress she liked most. Sofia convinced her to take the best elements from each dress that she liked and combine it into one and that proved to be the best plan because once Amber received that dress of her own design she realized this was meant to be. Just like her being queen. It was tight on her, flattering her figure but flowed out at the very bottom with the world's longest train both for the dress and the veil. It was off white, more cream than anything, decorated with silvery sparkles to mimic the stars. Now it would take another three weeks for her to choose a tiara.

Once the day came for it she didn't have to choose, she wore the same crown her mother wore on her wedding day so that way even though she was no longer with them it would be like she was there in spirit, walking her down the aisle. Sofia was so happy for her sister and she looked happy too, trying in vain not to cry and ruin her stellar makeup. Vows were exchanged, kisses were had, bouquets were thrown; caught by and fought over by an overzealous Ruby and Jade. Then the party was had with a cake so massive and tall that there would be some left over for months to come. Amber looked so lovely in her after party dress, over the next year her hair had grown even longer, reaching past her hips at this point. She liked to joke that she was like Rapunzel.

Sofia had grown too over the year, Cedric noticed this very much. He had thought she couldn't get any more beautiful but he was wrong as could be. She grew more in height for one, her baby fat entirely disappeared, her lips were ever so slightly more plump, and the rest of the changes were to her body. Subtle but there for sure. He could scarcely be bothered to watch Amber go down the aisle at all, he was too busy staring at Sofia in her lovely bridesmaid attire. They had a wonderful time at the party, Sofia was even allowed to have a little bit of the wine. She didn't care for it much, white or red. She much preferred to have simple juice or water. Once the wedding was over Amber left with Axel and they didn't see them for a while. They had gone off to an exotic destination for their honeymoon. The whole time she was gone Sofia kept wistfully thinking about her own wedding.

She wasn't about to have it so soon after her sisters, she would wait, but she wasn't a big planner. She wanted it to be simplistic yet beautiful, a bit traditional but really she supposed it wasn't so important as long as it was something of her choice and all the people she loved were there. She looked upon her ring and then held it to her heart. She couldn't wait until that day until she was Sofia, well, she wasn't certain what her last name would be. She'd take his of course but she had two last names already. Sofia Winslow-Balthazar-Wrenne was a mouthful. Whatever she was going to choose she would be happy with so long as she was with him and she counted off the days until that faithful evening when they would be man and wife. Cedric dreamed of it feverishly, near nightly, the life he was going to have with her, how she would look on their wedding day, and their eventual children. He dreamt it all with a smile and awoke with one as well, knowing his dream, their dream, would someday soon come true.


	28. Chapter 28

Another day in Enchancia but for those in the village and for those that were young an amazing marvelous fun and fancy free kind of day. There was a festival in the town of Dunwiddie with grand performances from the circus, dazzling magic shows, balloons and gifts, rides and treats of both salty and sweet, and a parade too. All were welcome to come of which that included the family of the royals. They were no longer children anymore but for some of them something like this still held excitement and wonder. James was always in love with watching the circus performers do their stunning displays while Sofia just enjoyed finding new things to see and try. Amber, on the other hand, felt she was far too old to enjoy such things but she would go to "experience the culture."

She also had to start showing her face around more as the new regent, she had been coronated not too long ago, and the villagers had to understand she was not so high and mighty as to not come and enjoy simple festivities. Amber wore a colorful dress that mimicked a circus tent with royal blues and vibrant reds and shiny golds and she had a large grandiose tiara. James just wore his regular clothes and Sofia thought of being a little whimsical with a pink and orange dress printed with multi colored dancing animals. She skipped around, hair full of flowers, right to Cedric's front door and opened it. She announced herself in a cheerful tune to him to which he turned his chair towards her with a slow swivel and a smile. He looked upon her with her flowers and ribbons and colorful attire and his smile grew. She looked like a cloud at sunset. He beckoned her closer and she came right to him, still merrily prancing like a doe. She entered his arms and locked her own behind him, giving him exactly what he wanted, affectionate kisses.

"Now that is the proper way to start my morning. Just what exactly are you doing here, looking absolutely delightful?"

"There's a festival happening today and it's going to be so much fun! There will be music and dancing and all sorts of activities!"

"It sounds like fun. Have a great time and enjoy it, love."

"Actually...I was going to ask you to come with me. I mean...if you aren't too terribly busy."

"Not in particular. If you want me to go so badly I'll go."

"Oh thank you! Come on, we're about to leave soon," She implored, tugging on his robes. He got up and followed her out, amused by her eagerness. She pulled him along now holding his hand and made her way out to the carriages. Sofia immediately sat right next to him, going on and on about how amazing it was all going to be once they got there. Minerva was not a day bird in the slightest so she stayed home, she preferred to sleep than to be around a bunch of very noisy people. Cedric was somewhat used to having his bird friend stay with him but he supposed he understood she couldn't always go where he went. It was fine anyways, he had Sofia with him, nothing could make him sad now.

Once they got there James hopped out with a big grin, rushing over to play some games, waving goodbye to his family before disappearing into the crowds of people. Amber shook her head at him but smiled all the same. Some things just never changed. Amber would be just walking about, greeting the commoners and browsing through the vendors there. She had to support local small businesses, it would better the economy and bring her even closer with her people. The king and queen would be taking in the shows mostly though Roland was like his son, amazed by all the new inventions and things to do, he just tried to remain reserved about it. Sofia was giddy as could be, running into the sea of festival goers with Cedric right behind her. Her first stop was the rides, she couldn't wait to try them all out except the big scary ones.

She only didn't want to go on those because she knew Cedric had a weak stomach. Loop-de-loops did not agree with him even though Sofia loved that sort of thing. After purchasing her tickets she went on each one she could find. One was themed after a dragon and raced through its lair, one was a swinging ride that went way up high, one was a ride where you got on small vehicles and tried to bump into others vehicles for points, and one was called the spinning top and shockingly Cedric handled that just fine. Mostly it was because Sofia didn't spin it too fast, just enough for him to be comfortable with. There was so many rides to go on but there were two that interested her the most, the merry go round, her absolute favorite ride no matter how childish it seemed, and one that was called the tunnel of love.

She noticed pairs of people getting on hand painted beautiful birds of various colors going through some type of cave. What influenced her to even go on something like that was she was with her love and it was something for lovers to do together. It was slow enough and calm enough for him which was good and they'd get to sit together in a relaxing little boat meant for two. It sounded romantic, as romantic as they could possibly get here anyways. So without a thought she boarded it, having the safety bar lowered just a bit so she could hold onto it, just in case. She was glad they were taking safety measures so that no one would get hurt. Just because the ride wasn't fast doesn't mean someone couldn't fall off. Their bird was a pure white swan with a gold crown and long rubber eyelashes. Sofia thought to herself that this was the queen of the swans. As they entered the cave she held onto his arm and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

Cedric lifted up her chin and kissed her deeply, enjoying the privacy of this moment. They were away from everyone else, secluded in their quiet little love boat, gracefully swimming along in the crystal caverns. He would not get another moment such as this where he could be so personal with her so out in the open. He would take any opportunity he could to savor her because even though she was his fiancé it was expected out of both of them to only do simple acts of romance. This meant no especially long passionate kisses which is what he was doing now. It couldn't be helped, they were alone, surrounded by the sound of the gentle splashing of water and a dark blue lit cave covered in ivy and hearts and sparkly things. What better time was there to express his love then in a tunnel meant for it?

"Oh Sofia," He sighed full of ardor, "you fill me with such...strong emotions. I cannot help but kiss you when I see you. It's like your lips are a magnet for mine."

"You know I felt the same way whenever I was hugging you when I was little. I just...had to. I really wanted it and I knew you wouldn't hug me so I had to find some excuse to do it to you."

"Now you don't have to make excuses. I'll hold you every minute if I can."

He scooped her up in his arms and squeezed her to him. He had to break up all his affection because the ride was over, sadly. He wished it had never ended because the moments in which it was just the two of them were his favorites. As long as she was smiling though he was happy. After the merry-go-round in which Sofia had ridden a literal sea horse, they went to the circus. The royals always had their own box there and Sofia could clearly see as the show was starting, her entire family was there. They even included an extra chair for Cedric once they got there. He felt privileged to be able to sit there amongst them.

The show started up with the ringmaster telling them what grand things lie ahead then the clowns came in amusing the audience with their humorous acts. After that there were animal trainers with their performing elephants balancing balls on their trunks and brave lion and tiger tamers. Then the acrobats, James's favorites, flipping and swinging about like monkeys but then after that act came a magician, not the kind that Cedric was. This one did parlor tricks, illusions, deceptions, sleight of hand. It made Cedric cross his arms and rolled his eyes, whispering under his breath that he could do so much better and it would be real too. Sofia shushed him so she could pay attention. It bothered him that she was actually enjoying this when she knew it was all false trickery. It made him just a bit envious actually but it only escalated further when the magician asked for someone from the audience and low and behold, he picked Sofia out of all the frantically waving hands.

What was extra odd was, Sofia didn't even raise hers at all, in fact she had assumed she was too high up to be seen or that the villagers were more likely to be picked over royalty. Sofia squealed with enthrallment, excitedly making her way down. Cedric huffed and grumbled about how enthused she seemed to be partaking in fake magic when she had him right here. He'd entertain her with actual sorcery any day or night she asked because even now that he was far more familiar with her he was still at her beck and call and he liked it that way. To him, Sofia was more than a princess even if that's what he called her. She was his queen, his empress, his angel, his goddess and he truly did live to please her in any way. He watched her make her way to the stage, a big beam on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, things he assumed were reserved only for him. He tried not to be spiteful, Sofia liked all magic not just his and even now she said he was the very best.

He took in a big breath, counted to ten, and reminded himself that to her he was the greatest, to her he was tip top, a cut above the rest, a genius of the magic arts, the king of all wizardry. He should have no reason to feel less than anyone else but especially not some two bit impostor who dabbled in hocus pocus. Of course even though Cedric now felt confident in himself he had to do his breathing exercises again when the magician, calling himself The Wonderful Wiselpick, called Sofia his very beautiful helper. He did the old sawing in half trick as well as the tried and true disappearing cabinet. When he reopened the cabinet Sofia was not in there even though she was meant to be and then he turned it twice more and she was there at last making the audience explode with cheers.

Sofia curtsied to the crowd, happy to have helped with the performance. After it was all over Sofia made her way back to the box and did not explain to tricks to a very anxious and curious James. Cedric, however, was about to spill the beans because he knew how each one was done, he had seen them a million and a half times. Sofia pressed her finger to his lips and shook her head no at him. She did not want the magic to be revealed, that would spoil things in her mind. Besides which she had promised not to tell. For some reason that upset him too. They all left the tent after that but were stopped by Wiselpick who went directly to Sofia and told her what a brilliant job she did on the stage then presented her with a dozen flowers, mostly roses, that had been thrown onto the stage.

"Oh that's so nice of you but don't you want them?"

"No no my lady, I have far too many to count. A beautiful rose belongs with a beautiful woman. Thank you for helping my show be even more wonderful."

"You're welcome. It was a lot of fun!"

He took her hand in his and kissed it causing Cedric to tightly close his eyes and take the biggest deepest breath ever. He had to control himself, it was nothing, she was a princess, people do these kinds of things. She was still his at the end of the day, her heart belonged to him, her soul was intertwined with his own, that was his ring on her finger and she wore it with pride. This man could see it on her finger clear as day and he had to be some type of idiot to not know what it meant. Sofia was not one to wear a lot of jewelry anyways and it was on her ring finger.

"I had a lot of fun with you as well. I can tell you are a lover of magic."

"In more ways than one," Sofia boldly admitted, casting her eyes at Cedric making him smirk and release those negative feelings instantly. He disdained feeling them at all, it was a huge problem he had but day by day he was getting better at dealing with it. He had no reason to feel this way and he told himself after dealing with Livia that jealousy was a horrible emotion that would get him nowhere. "Have you met our royal sorcerer, Cedric?"

"Haven't had the pleasure but I've heard of his greatness. An honor to meet you at last, sir. I'm humbled to be in the presence of someone who far exceeds my own skill."

"...I'm no big deal...really," He sheepishly admitted, suddenly feeling ashamed of his emotions and reactions.

"Nonsense!" He exclaimed. "Word of your triumphs reaches all over the globe. Someone like me has a lot of respect for you and for the Lady Sofia as well. I couldn't help having her on my show today, someone so famous would certainly help boost crowd attendance. I hope you didn't mind me stealing her away."

He coughed a little and chuckled nervously. "Not a problem at all. It was all in good fun."

The man bowed to them and departed after that leaving Cedric to ruminate on his own thoughts. Sofia looked at the roses intently then gave them to the coachman to hold onto. She explained that she wanted to preserve them and give them to Callista who was having a birthday party soon and these were bright red, her favorites. Not that she liked roses, she preferred spider lilies just because they had the word spider in them, but they were red and that was all that mattered. She turned to Cedric with an inviting smile on her face and stood on her tip toes, still shorter than him even with her recent growth spurt, to rub her nose against his then ever so sneakily brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss.

"There. Do you feel better now?"

"Well yes but I wasn't feeling bad before."

"I could tell you were a little upset at something but you handled it well and didn't let it get to you. You're making really good progress and I'm so proud."

"You think so?" He softly asked, still only a breath away from her mouth. His Sofia was very intuitive. He didn't even need to say anything and she understood exactly how he felt even if he'd like not to recognize it himself. He was disappointed with himself for feeling that even for a millisecond and now that he knew even random strangers knew they were together, he felt really foolish for getting even slightly upset. He knew Sofia was sweet and somehow still childlike, she had this sprite like spirit that though she was childlike she was no child. He could still find her incredibly womanly and evocative. He should know even if it wasn't the actual factual deal she would enjoy magic, just as she enjoyed this fair.

At any day she would give him even more of the same kind of treatment even if all he was doing was going over the most boring part of a spell book to her she'd stare up at him as if he was the living end. He was so embarrassed but thankfully, as Sofia had said, he took it well enough. Way back when he might have forced his authority on the man or worse. Sofia took his arm again and started to walk with him some more, now both were calm and content. Then, while they were walking, she noticed her brother sitting down at a table with a bunch of other people trying to defeat them in some type of eating competition. It actually was making her a little hungry seeing all that food. She got herself some sugary pink fairy floss that was fluffy and as big as her head.

"Do you want some?"

"Oh no the only sweet thing I like is you," Cedric responded with a wink.

She blushed as pink as the fairy floss and gave him the cutest smile that made him melt. The whole day was full of interesting things being sold and tasted and ridden until at last it was time for the parade at the end of the evening. Amber had to admit she enjoyed that because she loved seeing the beautiful horses and gorgeously designed floats. That day ended with them having to basically cart James home because he had passed out from eating so much. The next day after he barely ate at all and swore he'd start taking it slow because admittedly if he didn't train himself he would get fat and he needed to be in top physical shape to be a knight, at least that was his thought process. With magic and proper gardening techniques the roses were able to stay alive even up to Callista's birthday party. She was turning ten, a big number for her, double digits, the start of her becoming a big girl so it was important that all her friends and family come.

Callista had started going to Hexley Hall not too long ago and like a good friend Lucinda had been watching out for her and taking care of her. Despite the fact that she was clingy and too cute to be taken seriously sometimes, the two developed a bit of a friendship. Callista liked both Lily and Indigo for different reasons, Lily because she was "super nice" and Indigo because of her choice of red clothing and hair. They all tried to be mentors for her but Lucinda was smart, she knew Indigo would try to turn Callista to the bad side of magic and she was not about to let that happen. Indigo it seemed would be alone in her trouble making if not for Wendell, for though he liked Lucinda he still had those bad boy tendencies in him. All of them were invited if they wanted to come but nobody was sure if they would want to go to a child's birthday party.

It didn't matter Callista had other friends from school and those friends had parents who had become part of the social group of her mother. All the mothers got together and gossiped and conjured up food while they talked about books they had read or their husbands. Some of the grandparents of these kids went to Mystic Meadows and knew Winifred and Goodwin. So they were all good friends, at least some of them were. Callista's extended family was invited, her uncles and aunts and her other grandparents from her father's side and of course Cedric and Sofia. They were all told to wear something red in honor of the birthday girl and as one could expect her party had a lot of red theming with other colors to break it up a little. Cedric just changed his bowtie to red while Sofia wore a one of her Wassalia dresses that was a deep wine color.

As soon as they came inside they got attacked by Callista who was wearing a lovely poofy tutu dress in what else, bright cherry red. Callista loved to dance and tried her best to do ballet, thus explaining her tutu. Sofia knew this very well and had the perfect gift for her all wrapped up. The flowers were given to her as well as a kiss to the cheek. She asked to be picked up and held and Cedric complained that she was getting too big for this while rubbing his lower back. Sofia, though, was all too happy to pick her up and play with her. Sofia partook in all the party games and since she was so famous now all the kids wanted to hang out with Callista even more because of it. Cedric couldn't help but watch her playing with the children and sigh happily. This was going to be his future with her and he couldn't wait for it. She would be the perfect mother, just perfect and all their children would love her.

He hoped they would like him at least somewhat. He was nervous that one of them wouldn't. He wanted to build a good relationship with his children because he didn't want what happened to him to happen to them. He would never make them feel left out or outcasted or hurt or lonely or unloved. He would always make sure to support them and be there for them even if they failed. He wondered what they would look like and looking upon Callista it wasn't too hard to imagine. He hoped they had Sofia's nose not his and her eyes too, they were so pretty, but he wouldn't mind if they had his natural hair color. None of them would have a streak or a stripe of white, of this he was sure because it wasn't natural. If one did for some reason he would only love them more for it because they would be twins. Sofia grabbed Callista and started to blow hard on her cheek as she pressed her lips to it making funny sounds. Cedric laughed a little.

It made his heart warm to see this. Sofia also played with baby Callix, bouncing him up and down producing lots of laughs from him. When he started to cry Sofia went into action right away, coddling him as gingerly as possible, rocking him in her arms, and singing to him softly. He went to sleep in her arms shortly after, sucking on his thumb and holding tightly to her as if she was his own mother. Cordelia stared at Sofia in awe as she stroked over the boy's fine head of brown hair. Her husband, also with a C name strangely enough-Cornelius, was staring at her too as if he had never seen such a thing in his life. Cornelius was a traveling salesman, he sold his potions and salves and charms to protect and ward off evil. By doing this he made quite the pretty penny which is why his home was so large and Cordelia's and Callista's wardrobes so vast.

"How do you do it?" He inquired, still gawking at her. "We can never get him to go to sleep. He cries all night and no matter what we try he just continues crying."

"Hmm I'm not sure. All I did was sing to him."

"You really have a gift for taking care of children. I just wish I knew your secret."

"Thank you, Cordelia, but there's no secret to it I just do what comes natural to me."

"You're a lucky man to have someone like her being the mother of your future kids," Cornelius admitted getting a bit of a look from his wife, who felt at that moment a little inadequate compared to Sofia. She really did try her best raising her darling daughter to be the best little woman she could possibly be. She had good enough manners, though she couldn't help but crawl all over her uncle and she was just now breaking out of stealing things. Still she was well behaved as could be, crossed her t's and knew her p's and q's. She wasn't a bad mother, she was just a busy woman and sometimes she couldn't always be there for her daughter. Now she was thinking about it, it was no wonder Callista loved Sofia, she paid attention to her far more and played with her no matter what. Perhaps...Sofia was a better mother than she and she wasn't even really one yet.

"Don't I know it," Cedric boasted fulsomely, feeling accomplished.

Soon after all the party games and dinner were over it was time for cake with strawberry ice cream. The cake was four layers tall and decorated with sprinkles of varying red hues and of course had red icing lining the white cake. There was a big number ten sitting atop it and they magically lit it up then sung to her. Callista blew the candles so hard they toppled over right onto the table. When the overly sweet cake was eaten it was time for presents. From Cedric she had gotten a doll with black and white hair, just like his just like hers, with a lot of different outfits to put it in and a teeny tiny hairbrush. From her grandfather she got a lot of story books about red characters such as Red Riding Hood and Snow White's sister, Rose Red. From her grandmother she got loads of toys and a new rain coat with matching rubber boots and umbrella, all printed with lady bugs. From her parents she got numerous dresses and hair things as well as a new big girl wand and a new pet, her first real familiar. She had begged and begged for one and she wanted either a bird or a lizard of some sort.

Birds were far more traditional in their family line and she could have any old lizard from outside so they got her a beautiful rare plumed bird that was almost all red. It was small because it was still a young one, so it would grow with her but she loved it all the same and showed it off to everyone. She had decided to name it Rowan. She kept saying she wanted it to meet her uncles new pet so they could become bestest best friends. He seemed okay with that. Her last gift came from Sofia. Besides the flowers which now resided in a vase in the kitchen she had manufactured two things for her. One was a prima ballerina dress that she sewed herself, filled with ruby sequins and gold ribbon details. To complete the ensemble Sofia had also made red ballet shoes. Callista loved them both so much she nearly screamed.

Everyone had left one by one after gifts were given and other children were getting sleepy. Goodwin and Winifred were one of the last to leave, lingering there to give their granddaughter lots of love and to of course, at least on Winifred's part, suffocate Cedric. Sofia got the same treatment and a lot of questions about when their wedding would finally come. She made them both turn Callista red when she talked about wanting them to hurry up and make her a lot, and she did mean a lot, of grandchildren. Cedric was thankful when she finally left and his torment was over. He and Sofia stayed late into the night even as everyone else went home. They stayed until Callista went to bed, so happy with her presents and sleeping with her ballet shoes already on her feet. Her new doll was cuddled up against her chest as she smilingly yawned and drifted off into dreamland, surrounded by crimson colored fairy lights and presents.

Cordelia was having trouble putting her son to bed just like she said before and Sofia, seeing her frustration and obvious tiredness, offered to help. Cordelia wanted her help, truly she did, but she also didn't want her help because she didn't want to be upstaged. She also didn't want her to do a better job thus validating that she wasn't the best mother for her son. She did not like the remark her husband so blatantly and bluntly said aloud, making her feel so low so even though she could use as much help as she could get, she told her thank you but no thank you. In so many words trying to shoo her away as nicely as she could but Sofia could see how troubled she was and how much she wanted to just go to bed. Cedric had been waiting this whole time in the living room, staring awkwardly around the home now that it was empty. Sofia held out her hands and offered up again.

"No need. I've got it covered. He's my child after all and I should be able to get him to sleep."

"Are you absolutely sure? I don't want you to have to be up all night with him. That would be stressful."

"I'm used to it hun, trust me. As a mother we have to deal with this sort of thing all the time. Go on now, I'll be fine."

Sofia usually would take the memo but the crying was getting louder and louder and she could hear Cornelius grumbling in aggravation and Callista becoming restless because she too couldn't sleep. She just couldn't let someone suffer like this not when she could do something about it. Sofia just had to help Cordelia if only for tonight. One night's rest meant a lot to a parent, she knew this very well. Because of this Sofia reached out one last time and just requested, in a soft quiet gentle voice, that she give her the baby because she could put him to sleep. For some reason this unnerved the usually reserved woman causing her to turn to Sofia with even more frustration on her face than before.

"I don't need your help, okay?! He's my son not yours!"

"I know that Cordelia...I was just trying to help you. I know how difficult it is for you and I-"

"You think you're better than me, don't you?" She harshly questioned, more sad than mad, her voice breaking, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

All the commotion had alerted Cedric. He knew what his sister sounded like when she was upset and angered by something, he had the displeasure of being the one who made her that way many times. So when he heard her voice raise he got up from the couch, knowing she wasn't yelling at anyone else but Sofia as Sofia was the only other person in that room. Sofia was stunned a little by that and stood there unsure of what started all of this.

"No I don't think I'm better than anybody. I'm sorry if I offended you..."

"What's going on here?" Cedric asked, a bit agitated from the doorway, staring down his sister who was obviously peeved and distraught. "Why are you yelling at her?"

"Because she's trying to make me look bad. Well you know what I try my very best to be a nice mother to my children. I'm not perfect like you but I try."

"Cordelia I don't understand where all this is coming from. I just offered to help you out, I didn't mean to upset you at all. I think you are a great mother, you've raised Callista so well, she's very polite and kind, just like you."

"...You...you really think all that about me?" Cordelia inquired, stunned by the statement, and clearly regretting what she had said to her guest, her future sister-in-law.

Sofia nodded her head. "Of course. Nobody is perfect at all and nobody is better than anybody here. All parents are different and some just get the hang of it faster than others. My own mother always gave me milk that was way too hot for me at first and sometimes I would wander off when I was in her sight and she would blame herself for not watching me closer. So you see even someone like the queen can make mistakes. We all do."

"Sofia is right," Cedric interjected, moving into the room and closing the door to seal off the noise from the rest of the family members. "We don't always see eye to eye all the time but even I know you aren't a bad mother. Callista loves you very much."

"Yes but...she idolizes you. I mean she wanted her hair to look like yours not mine..."

"That doesn't mean she loves me more than you. We all have had our favorite relative at some point. You used to love your cousin Salina so much you wanted her to be your sibling, not me."

"I forgot all about that...I guess...I guess you're right...Oh I acted so horribly, didn't I? I'm so sorry Sofia. I invited you into my home and yelled right at you when you were just being nice. Could you forgive me?"

Sofia made her way over to Cordelia and hugged her tightly. "There's nothing wrong with getting the way you did. You should have seen me on one Mother's Day when I thought my mom loved Amber and James more than me. I did some...pretty horrible things..."

"You? But you're always so good. I can't imagine you doing anything wrong."

"Like I said we all make mistakes and I learned from mine that day. My mother loves us all equally just like your children love you because you are a really great parent. Trying is all we can ask of someone, try and try until you get it right, that's what I've learned. Would you be okay if I showed you how I do it then maybe you can learn?"

"That would be wonderful...thank you."

Sofia took baby Callix from her arms and instructed Cordelia on what she was doing and how, she also gave her tips and pointers that she knew helped her as a small child get to sleep like warm milk, soft lullabies, a soothing presence and things like that. Cordelia really was thankful because with her help she was able to, on her own, get Callix to go to sleep and they all had a good nights rest that night. Sofia and Cedric went home after that knowing that all was well and that Sofia had performed yet another good deed. Solving problems and giving advice were some of the things she was the very best at and tonight she had revealed that Cedric and Cordelia both had problems with confidence no matter how much they liked to act otherwise. She couldn't save the whole world all by herself but she would try her best to save those she could and knowing that she was capable of that brought a smile to her face. That night she dreamed of the soon to be future she would have and how she would be with her own children and wondered briefly if she too would have some issues with them. She knew it didn't matter what bumps happened down the road she would face them head on as she always did with him by her side. The two of them slept soundly right on through the night, wrapped up together, as they would be through life, side by side.


	29. Chapter 29

The morning sun rose over the land of Enchancia, slowly dying the land with its golden rays. As it peeked over the rolling green flowered hills it peered through the blinds of a high tower warming and waking up its resident. Cedric laid in his bed all covered up in his blankets and though he usually disdained the sun leaking in and near blinding him in the morning he welcomed it today. It hit his face almost directly into his eyes but he could care less, he smiled at it actually. He rose from his bed slowly but surely and stretched with his smile still on his face. Today his bed was empty, devoid of the beautiful brunette resident he usually liked to see there but that was fine. It was supposed to be that way.

He hopped out of bed with renewed vigor and went about his daily tasks of getting ready with a chipper whistle and beaming wide. Today was the greatest day in his entire life. Today was at long last the day where he would be wedding Sofia. It had been to him a long time coming and he had patiently but also somewhat impatiently been waiting for it. He waited until she would finally tell him it was time, she was ready to start planning. When they at last had a date he counted the days until it was here at last, at long glorious last. Now it was here and all sorts of emotions raced through him. He had a mixture of pleasure, intense satisfying bliss, and anxiety such as he never felt before.

Above all of that he was enthralled, trying to still his shaking hands as he scuttled about his tower but he couldn't stop them for anything. He was beyond ready and beyond excited for this. They had gone through a lot to get here and it took a long time for her to come to a decision but he understood why. She had a lot of things to do and plan. There were events she had to attend, people that relied on her, the entire realm needed her protection. Planning a wedding amidst all of that chaos was not going to be easy but when it was finally time to do so she put all her energy into it. It would not be the biggest nor the fanciest nor the brightest but it would be perfect. She wanted that at least. Lower into the castle down the hallways and into a royal chamber soundly slept the young bride but not for long.

Her bird friends came flying into her room twittering a hello to her and telling her it was time to rise and shine. She got up from her bed and felt like the sun wasn't the only thing giving her this sunny warm feeling inside. She tossed off the covers and greeted all her friends, picking up Clover and hugging him to her body then began to dance around the room with glee. It had certainly taken a long time for her to have enough time to do this but now that the day was here she was looking forward to it. Now she was seventeen, almost eighteen, and today was going to be the happiest day of her life, the day where she would be joined in union with the man whom she had loved for so many years. Sofia couldn't help herself but to sing out loud as she pranced along her room.

They had to avoid each other today which wouldn't be too hard seeing as he could stay in his tower but it would be torture for him. It had been for the last couple days. He was not allowed to be near her for a few days but it would be all worth it once he had her in his arms forever. The maids came in and drew Sofia's bath for her and she sat in it soaking in all the feelings of today that were washing over her. There was a little trepidation but mostly she was experiencing overwhelming joy and anticipation. The wedding itself would not be until the early evening but already Baileywick was getting everything in order, as expected of him. Sofia had a light breakfast with her family as there would be a lot of food at the party after the wedding and also she didn't want to feel sluggish and heavy the whole day. Her sister was just as excited as she was.

She couldn't wait to see her little sister's big day come at last. It had been years since the proposal and now the day had come where the two most unique lovers in all the kingdom could be together. Sofia was wringing her dress a little, she felt all jostled about inside. It was maddening but wonderful all at the same time. All throughout the day her mother had been very emotional and told herself to keep it together until the wedding. Amber seemed to be the same way. It seemed James was the only one who was calm as a cucumber. James was picked to be the best man as he was the closest thing to a brother Cedric could have. They didn't have a lot of memories together or a relationship that had been built over time but they liked each other and respected each other and that was enough for both of them. For a while they weren't sure who the ring bearer was going to be.

Sofia was close enough with her prince friends but not that close to any of them in particular. They were all about on the same level. In the end although it was completely unorthodox her trusty rabbit would be the ring bearer. Amber had tried to convince her to use Desmond or some boy from the village but nobody was that close to Sofia, not like Clover was. She supposed that this entire thing would be the opposite of ordinary, after all their relationship was anything but. The flower girl was Callista who really wanted to throw red petals everywhere even though it would clash with the lilac and white pastel color pallet of the wedding. Sofia asked her if she knew the spell to create rose petals and Callista said yes, her uncle taught her it when she was young.

Sofia told her if she promised to use the regular flowers down the aisle then at the very end when they left instead of rice she could do that instead. Sofia really didn't like the thought of rice being thrown at her anyways, it should be saved for the birds. So Callista agreed to that. The maid of honor was Amber but there were two others; Ruby and Jade. Sofia felt that they were all like her sisters just as Amber felt Hildegard and Clio were like sisters. She had grown up with Ruby and Jade, knew them first before anyone else, and they had been a part of her life when she was not royal and when she finally was. They had stuck with her through it all and they not only deserved to be there but be important parts of this too.

Everyone was going to come from all sides of the family and any friends Sofia had met. It wasn't going to be a big wedding in terms of grandeur but it was going to be big in terms of the amount of people there. They would need the entire back yard to fit them all and then some. Special accommodations had to be made for special guests such as those that swam, those that flew, and those that were too big to even fit in the castle. All animals were allowed to come and now that Robin's chicks were big enough to have feathers and fly a little, they could come too. Crackle, Whatnaught and his recent girlfriend were coming, Director Dove, Rex, and all else were going to show up. It was the first time in Enchancian history that animals attended the wedding like they were regular guests. Usually they were shooed away.

Everything was being set up and all servants were busy running about preparing everything just so to Sofia's liking. She checked in on things to see how it was going and told everyone she was happy to assist anyone who needed it. They denied her every time because it was her day she should be relaxing and not worrying about a thing. She took a look at her venue thus far and smiled. Perhaps just today she could let other people handle things. Sofia stayed in her room most of the time even though she wanted to be outside but she also didn't want to get in the way at all. She was told guests were showing up but she wasn't meant to greet them for some odd reason.

Amber and James and the rest of her family would be taking care of that. It was getting closer and closer to that time and she wondered how Cedric was doing because she was getting antsy and a little anxious. If she was a little anxious Cedric was toppling off the edge. His palms were sweating as he went over his vows and that wasn't all, he was just sweaty in general. At this rate he'd have to take another bath. It wouldn't do at all to go to his own wedding covered in sweat. He was so worried. What if he flopped and messed up all his lines? What if he just plum forgot and made a fool of himself in front of the entire kingdom? What if he dropped the ring because of his wet palms? What if he just outright fainted because of his nerves? He was shaking more than he was before.

He was elated as could be, naturally, he wanted this to happen but he was also nervous as could be too. He felt jittery and a little ill, as if he was dizzy and might just need to use the bathroom to expel whatever he ate this morning. He loved her and he wanted to marry her, had been wanting to for years now and he was still certain of it but he still felt a jumbled up mess. When he received a knock on his door he let out a loud high pitched squeal and dropped all his note cards immediately. The person that came in was James, dressed as dapper as could be with a full regal suit on in a classy dark velvety green color with a buttery yellow bow tie, just like Cedric's. He wondered briefly if that was just a lucky accident or on purpose. Not all the groomsmen, the few that there were, dressed like James, he was different because he was a part of the family. Same for Amber.

"Just about everyone is here now, your parents just showed up. It's time to get ready. Amber and the all the maids in the entire castle are with Sofia now."

"R-r-r-eady? Really...? N-now?"

"Yeah now unless you don't want to get married," James joked, shrugging a bit with a laugh.

"Of c-c-course I do it's just...oh I just..."

"Nerves?"

Cedric nodded slowly and solemnly, sitting down now with a long sigh. "I just don't want to embarrass her by messing things up..."

"Cedric, even if you fell face first into the cake she'd still love you. You could never embarrass her or me. I may not be getting married and I may not ever, I'm still unsure, but I know how it feels to be nervous about something. When I first became a knight there were so many people better than me and I thought for a moment that I might as well give up. I ended up failing the first test right in front of everyone including Zooey who came to show her support. I felt like a failure but you know what? Sofia pulled me aside and told me that I gave it my all, I put my heart and soul into it, and it showed. She could tell I had tried my best and that failing isn't any reason to beat yourself up. It turned out that I wasn't the only one who failed it, most people did."

"Sofia... she always knows just what to say...," Cedric responded, staring at his note cards curiously. "At her graduation she lost all her notes but it didn't matter she spoke from the heart. If I put my heart into it then I guess that's what matters most...isn't it? Even if I do mess up?"

James nodded his head yes. "Mhm. Just give it your best shot. I'm sure whatever you will say to her if it comes from in here," He explained tapping right on Cedric's chest, "then you couldn't possibly fail. That's what Sofia has taught me and now I'm one of the best knights in my class. So come on, let's get you ready."

"Right, no more dilly dallying."

Back in Sofia's room she was going through something similar as her handmaids and sister worked to get her ready. It wasn't just her in there either some of the other girls had come too and it was getting awfully crowded in there. All the people surrounding her were making her a bit claustrophobic and her breathing was rapid and shallow. Amber fanned her sister, trying to alleviate the tension she had.

"I think there's too many of us in here. I'm sorry ladies you should all leave. Family only, go on out out out."

She clapped her hands together and pointed out the door making sure they all left. When they did Sofia breathed a sigh of relief. It was already enough to have five people in there she didn't need more.

"Thank you Amber."

"What are sisters for? Are you feeling okay though? You seem tense."

"I am a little. It's all just coming to me now, really coming to me. I'm actually going to be getting married. I can't believe it. It didn't seem so long ago that I was just plain old Sofia, helping my mom sell shoes."

"I can't believe it either! If you had told me a couple years ago that you'd be marrying Cedric I would have flipped my lid but you know now I can't imagine anyone else but him with you. You're like a rare star in the sky and something like that needs to be treasured. I know in my heart he will do just that."

"Aww Amber...that's so nice of you to say. After everything I've been through to hear that makes me happy. I had been so worried for so long about your opinion on things, I had let it cloud my judgement...let it make me feel like I was in the wrong. So now that you accept him, accept us, it's just so nice to hear."

"Sofia I'm...I'm sorry about the way I had acted before. I wish sometimes I didn't do those things. You're my sister and I love you, I should have known better than to interfere with your love life."

"I understand Amber. Actually in the end you only helped make our love stronger. It was worth fighting for and if I had to do it again just the same way I would."

Amber grinned up at her sister, so very proud to call her that, this hero, this courageous woman, this strong noble lady who did so much for others and deserved someone who would have all those qualities and love her unconditionally. Cedric, she could see, was perfect for Sofia and obviously Sofia was perfect for him. They completed each other. Like two halves of one whole or like Jun would say, yin and yang. Two opposites who only compliment each other and are at peace when with the other. Sofia was all done getting ready now, all dressed up for this special day where she would be taking a step into something new, something more. To Amber nothing meant more to her than those moments she had become The Lady Amber Dirichio, wife of Axel Dirichio. It was such an important day for her and a momentous occasion. She would make sure her sister had a day just like that, a day she would never forget because someone as important as Sofia deserved to have everything go right today.

"Oh look at you...just look at you. You're so...oh god...tissue, I need a tissue," She sniffled, trying to locate her napkin in her pockets and dabbed her eyes with it once found. "You've grown up so much Sofia and now everyone is going to see it. Oh Cedric is going to just faint when he sees you."

"Gee...I really hope not...though he is prone to doing that...maybe we should have cold water on standby."

Amber laughed at the suggestion and Sofia joined with her, it was just a little joke but really and truly they should just in case. All the guests were there now waiting on the benches. Her aunt and uncle were there, her grandmother on Roland's side, all the villagers including Ruby and Jade's family, the merpeople even came in specialized water bowls, giants, gnomes, trolls, witches, wizards, cat people, dragons, fairies, Sir Dax and Boo, Carol of the arrow, Nigel, Lady Joy and even Lord Alexey, who had since changed his mannerisms for the better, every kind of prince, princess, emperor, king, and duchess, Meg and Peg, all her protectors and much much more. It was the largest group of people at any wedding ever because Sofia was friends with so many across the lands. Truly it was a once in a lifetime event and nobody was going to miss it.

At the front of the aisle at the podium was Merlin and standing to each side were all the bridesmaids and groomsmen, including Amber who had just joined in dressed down for once, she wanted her sister to really sparkle. Cedric was standing there on the right, twitching his hands a little and breathing unevenly. Minerva was sitting on his shoulder, having preened herself to look her very best, and was trying to comfort and relax him as much as possible but it seemed to not be working so well.

Sofia's mother was sitting in the front next to the other relatives dressed in her finest dark carnation colored dress and had packed a thousand tissues with her because she just knew she was going to cry. It was bound to happen. Winifred sat close to her, also knowing she would cry, she was already watering up seeing her son looking handsome in his silver and white wedding robes. Roland was waiting for Sofia to come down the stairs so he could walk her down the aisle and the moment he saw her he couldn't help it. He thought he wasn't going to cry at all but he was fooling himself. He had cried at Amber's wedding and this was no different.

His special little girl was now a special woman and he couldn't be any happier for her. Despite his initial reaction to Cedric's proposal he had seen over and over again that the man loved his daughter, he would honor and protect her and allow her to be free to do what she wished. He couldn't ask for anything more. The wedding march started and the procession came down the aisle. First was Callista in a ruby ballgown with her hair decorated with a flower crown of red flowers that she made herself. She did as she was told to do and spread the petals all over the floor some on one side some on the other side. There were other little girls traveling behind her, from the village, that Sofia had wanted to include and a very young princess too. She wanted to have all parts of her life shown through these girls. The villagers representing her past, the princess representing her present, and the little conjurer representing her future. Then hopping behind her was Clover who was successful in carrying the rings on a cushioned pillow. It took him a long time to get this right without the rings falling but he did not fail his princess.

Then there she was with her father royally standing at her side, trying to appear as if he hadn't just wept moments before. Cedric's mouth and eyes were wide opened and his heart raced so fast he swore it would blow up the moment she got to him. It had already been palpitating before she came but now it was a crazed drum inside his chest full of love for this gorgeous woman who was making her way to him. She was stunning to say the least given how the years had sculpted her into her full womanly form. She was not as curvy as her sister but to Cedric that was all the better, he wasn't one for buxom women. Her dress was whiter than the whitest snow with gentle beading along it. There was delicate lace detailing on the hemline as well. The dress itself was a classic princess type dress with round sleeves that hung off her shoulders. It cinched in at the waist then poofed out and trailed behind her but not nearly as long as Amber's, she didn't want to trip over her own dress.

That same thought process is why the dress wasn't so long, it was just short enough to see that on her feet she had sparkly silver shoes with a white bow on each of them. Her train was lacy at the ends as well and it was being held up by Mia and Robin. She wore her amulet, the only real burst of color on her, and had polished it. She had pearl drop earrings with just a touch of silver. Her lips were strawberry milkshake pink and her eyelids were sparkly lilac. She needed no blush on her cheeks, she provided that herself naturally. The thing that made Cedric's heart swoon, besides everything else, was that she still wore the tiara he made for her, even though she had millions to choose from and this was an important day, maybe the most important thus far. Yet she still wore it. When she finally got to the left side of the podium and stood there with a small mini veil just barely covering her eyes he stared deeply at her. Her eyes met his and she blushed prettily with a dazzling smile. It made him turn to mush right then and there.

"Dearly beloved," Merlin began, "We are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of this sorcerer and this woman in holy matrimony."

As he continued on with the elongated ceremonial speech Cedric's eyes and ears could only focus on the beautiful blushing bride right in front of him. Every time their eyes met she bashfully looked down to her bouquet of flowers right from the garden. It made him wish they would just skip to the kissing part already because those blue eyes were screaming his name and those satin pink lips needed to be kissed for each time she smiled at him the way she was now. He had to snap out of it because it was time for the vows and it appeared he was first. He cleared his throat a little with uncertainty, knowing all eyes were on him, but then told himself the only ones that mattered were hers. He searched deep within himself for the words he wanted to say to her. Just to her.

"Sofia, my darling, from the first day you called me your friend until now you have been a special light in my life and that light has lit up everywhere I have ever gone. You stole into my once wicked heart and melted the ice around it entirely until it was that I realized I was not at all the man I thought I once was. I had changed and there was no going back to how I used to be. I'm so glad you walked into my life and turned it right side up. You are my inspiration, the reason I move, you drive me every day to do better and be a better person. You are everything to me, you have taken someone who was once on a track to darkness and showed him the way out. I love you, I know those words are simple and overused but I don't have much else to say. All I can offer you is my heart and all my love even though you deserve so much more. I wish I could give you the world but I don't have much. I know you don't care at all about those kinds of things that all you want from me is me and I find that endearing and so pure. You truly are the most right thing in this whole world to me and I'm truly blessed to have you, honestly I am. Thank you for choosing me when you had so many options open to you, thank you, Sofia, for being mine."

Sofia didn't even care about her makeup, she usually never did anyways, and allowed her tears to slip from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She used the back of her hand to wipe them away. Everyone was moved by his words but no more than the members of both of their families, most especially Roland who found them to be the most sincere words of love he had ever heard. It made him feel all the more confident that his choice was for the best, that this man was right for his daughter despite everything. He could no longer see his age anymore, all he saw was a man, plain and simple, giving his heart and soul to a woman who he would do anything for. Amber too thought they were such beautiful words he spoke, she had never truly heard him talk like this before. He was quite poetic when he wanted to be. His words were like him, unassumingly romantic and simplistic but full of meaning. Now all waited to hear what Sofia would have to say. She pulled herself together to say her vows now.

"My Cedric, my beloved, my past, my future, my soul mate, what can I say that I haven't already said a thousand times? You are, no matter what you say or how you deny it, perfect to me. From your beautiful white bangs to that twinkle in your eye to your wonderful smile and your delightful accent. From the very start I have loved you, at first only as a small child with girlish fantasy but it blossomed quickly into something more. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that you were meant to be my husband no matter what flaws you or anyone else dared to tell me you had. I saw past all that because you are more than just the broken bits. You are flawed, yes, but who in this big wide world isn't? Even I am sometimes. Even still with all that you have done that might mark you as wrong you are still perfect to me. Our relationship has been tried, tested, pushed, shaken, but through it all through all the bad times, the scary times, the times where the darkness felt it would swallow us whole, it did not break, it did not falter and it never will. Our love is stronger than anything in the world and it will prevail so long as we work together to preserve it. No matter what has gone on in my life you were always there you have always been there and I know you will continue to be there for me. I'm so glad I became a princess, for thousands of reasons. I got a wonderful new family with a sweet sister and a brother who makes me laugh all the time, I found friendship, I fought things I never thought I could overcome, but you know what I never expected to find when I came here? Love, my true love, but on that day I met you something in me told me, whispered inside of me, that it was going to be you. Call it what you will, say its destiny or fate, it doesn't matter what brought us together, here we are and I regret nothing. I'm so glad you love me because honest and truly I could not live my life without you in it."

Cedric let out a long swoon, gushing completely at her words. He felt like he was floating right now, bouncing along the clouds and he could barely hear anything but those words repeating in his head. They were truly heartfelt and heart warming and as long as he lived he would never forget them. Oh how he wished they would hurry on up so he could kiss her already! He was dying to. He wanted to just cup her lovely face and kiss her until he couldn't any longer, her words had struck such a chord in him that his passion was bursting inside himself. It didn't help at all that she looked more beautiful now than ever before, not that she didn't look jaw dropping any other day but right now more so than any other time she looked like a real angel. It made him weak the way she looked into his eyes like that, so deep and full of tenderness. He was able to slide on the ring just fine, petting the rabbit in a friendly manner beforehand.

It wasn't so bad, really. He kind of even was starting to like the thing and it had done its job today remarkably. Sofia had trained him well. Perhaps Cedric would conjure him a giant carrot to say thank you for all he had done for Sofia, not just today but all the days where she was blue and in need of a friend. He now knew the value of a true animal friend, such as his own which sat there proudly on his shoulder. Minerva was hailed as a hero amongst animal kind for her bravery in the battle. If not for her they wouldn't have had all the wizards on their side. At last it was time to kiss the bride and Minerva made sure to fly off to a nearby branch to give them some room. Cedric lifted up Sofia's veil revealing her face in full, looking expectantly up at his. Their lips touched, gentle and slow but not lacking in the feelings they had for each other.

Everyone in the audience was clapping for them and sniffles were heard throughout the crowd. Winifred was blubbering quite loudly while Goodwin rubbed her back, trying to remain firm but even he was shedding a few tears too. They couldn't be any more proud of their son if they tried. He had finally gotten all he deserved, all that they had hoped for, all that he wanted. As soon as the knot was tied Sofia remained Lady Sofia of Enchancia, high royal council and protector of the Ever Realm. Easily she could have lost her title but Roland refused to let that happen, he was still king and made the rules. She would still be a royal but would have no right to the throne. That was fine with her, she didn't want it anyhow.

Cedric however could not be called a lord unless dictated otherwise, he could be called Sir Cedric, which he liked, or even to some extent Cedric, Prince Consort to Sofia but he felt the term prince was meant for someone young. He was a little past his prime, he thought, to be called a prince of any sort. Roland gave it some thought upon what they should be called, if Sofia was still a royal what did that make Cedric now? Honestly he was okay with just being plain old Cedric, but if someone called him a higher title, well naturally he wasn't going to deny it. It made him feel important. James would call him Sir Cedric, because he was a knight to him even if he passed no trials to become one. He had done enough trialing in his own life, battled enough monsters, and saved a princess enough times to be called one. To Amber and to the others he would always be Sir Cedric the Great, but they would just refer to him by his name. It was more respectful in his opinion.

When Sofia threw her bouquet it was caught by Crackle of all people, who had flown high up to grab it. When she did she looked at Clover and nuzzled up close against him making him clear his throat and try to slide away slowly. Once the wedding ceremony was over the party could begin. Sofia had used magic to make her wedding dress into a short regular dress, still white though and still beaded and lacy. So it sort of looked like her original ballgown when she was little and had her first royal dance only white instead of purple. They all ate, drank, and danced the night away. Sofia and Cedric fed each other cake which was half black and half white on the interior, dark chocolate and vanilla, a little bitter on one side and very sweet on the other. A perfect representation of them both. Sofia in her playful mood dabbed some frosting onto Cedric's nose. He then did the same to her causing her to giggle. He almost couldn't stop smiling or kissing her the whole time, occasionally laughing for no reason at all it seemed. He was the happiest man on the planet. When he and Sofia had their wedding dance it was like the time at her fifteenth only far more meaningful. Sofia laid her head on his chest as the spun slowly side to side, a content smile on her face.

The party had winded down and it was time for the newlyweds to be on their way. They had done a lot of preplanning on where their honeymoon would be and Cedric picked the destination but he told her it was a surprise. She had packed for just about anything. They left through a shower of raining rose petals courtesy of Callista. Everyone at the event waved goodbye to them as they entered their flying carriage, swiftly going off into the sky. The whole way there Sofia was guessing where it was but each time she was wrong. When at last they landed she got out and had no clue where she even was at. The coach flew off and would not be back for a week and some days. Cedric led her through what looked like a forest, carefully guiding her along the way. She could hear some type of stream and the wind whistling in the trees but not much else besides crickets. Once they broke out of the forest they found themselves in a clearing.

In that clearing there was a glade, a stream just as Sofia heard with a waterfall tumbling over the rocks, flowers growing wildly everywhere amongst the grasses, and the light shining perfectly through the canopy of the tall dark navy colored trees. In the very center of that glade was a cute little cottage, almost just like the ones in fairytales she had read about with a thatched roof, circular windows, wood carved door, and a cobblestone path leading up to it. Sofia marveled at it all with an open mouth, taking in all the beauty around her in nature. Butterflies were fluttering about and bumble bees were buzzing from flower to flower while frogs hopped along and fish swam in the little pond connected to the stream.

"Well...do you like it?"

"Oh Cedric it's wonderful! Where are we?"

"This place was where I grew up as a child. I used to live here before we moved and my parents retired. I took some time to tidy everything up and make it look exactly like it did when I was young. Come, come inside and I'll show you everything."

Sofia was smiling from ear to ear as he led her inside his family home. It was a special place, to her it was even a sacred place, where he was born, where his story began. It meant more to her than he could know to have their honeymoon be here, someone so significant to him. He had memories here that weren't so pleasant he wanted to create some here that were, with her, his wife, his world. She was already a part of his life but now he wanted her to be part of his life in another way too, by bringing her here he was ensuring that. Their new life together would begin where his life had begun. He opened the door for her leading her into the living room and kitchen. It was charming, just like him. Four chairs sat at a small square table covered with a white cloth and purple vase. It had been filled with what looked like fresh flowers plucked from right outside.

There was a sofa right in front of a fireplace and a massive area rug. A wooden toy box sat just to the side. Cedric lit up the fireplace as it was getting on into night and it would get colder. He gave her the tour of the small humble abode, pointing out where things happened and what things were. He showed her briefly to his parents and sister's old rooms, where the lavatory was so she could freshen up if need be, there was a small powder room, and then where they would be sleeping, his old bedroom. Now though he had said he kept everything as it was he didn't mean literally everything. There was no way he was going to have a romantic honeymoon with his new wife in his old childhood bedroom looking the way it did. It was too cutesy and childish, even for Sofia.

He was but a young lad when he lived here and some of the stuffed animals, toys, and other things from his far gone days had to go. Now he made it more appropriate for them both, but more so for her. He added a much larger bed to accommodate the two of them with silky sheets and a good number of fluffy pillows. There were candles placed here and there, a proper light fixture hanging from the ceiling instead of the one he had shaped like the moon. All the paintings and pictures were moved, he didn't delete them but just put them someplace else. Nothing but a dark plum wall paint still remained, though he had painted over the black birds and crooked bare trees. As Sofia was having a look around she was caught off guard by Cedric scooping her up right off the ground and into his arms, just as one would carry a bride.

"What do you think then? It's not anything extravagant but I think you might have liked it better that way."

"Cedric it's absolutely ahh-mazing, just like the one the seven dwarves stayed in! It's just...all really happening isn't it? I'm really your wife... I still can't get over it. This whole experience has been like... a fairytale come true."

"No my pet, it's far better than all that. Far far better," He softly cooed and placed his lips on hers.

He carried her into the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and placed her on the bed, barely taking his lips off of hers. He caressed her cheek and took her hair out from its styled updo, tossing her veil to the side. Carefully he removed the tiara from her head, placing it on the nightstand. He kissed her neck gently causing her to shudder. It delighted him that he could still make her do that to this day. His bride was indeed blushing like it was her first time and that too delighted him. He lifted up one of her legs, departing from kissing her even though it took all his strength to stop. He kissed her ankles as he took off her silver shoes.

"My little Cinderella," He teased playfully.

She laughed a little in a shy way. "I guess I am aren't I? Cinderella was a poor girl from a village and became a princess, just like me, and she had lots of animal friends she talked to."

"And did you, like her, find a prince charming too?"

"I found something more than that," She sweetly whispered, her eyes twinkling like blue sapphires in the low lighting of the room. "So much more, more than words can describe, more than he gives himself credit for."

"Sofia...god you make my heart explode with emotion. You should hear how hard it beats inside of me for you. It sings your name," He proclaimed with passion, taking off her other shoe and placing it down with the other. He made his way back up to her and kissed her deeply while his hands undressed her. He could feel her skin flaring up under his touch, knowing without looking it was flushed pink or red. He started murmuring things as he kissed her neck again, things Sofia couldn't understand.

"Are you...speaking a different language?"

"Yes, it's an old language, where my name comes from. I'm just saying I love you."

"All this time I've known you and you've never spoken it."

"Yes I have you just don't seem to hear it, I say I love you this way all the time. Maybe I just say it too softly. I should scream it out loud because my love for you deserves to be heard by the whole world!"

"Say it again, please? Slowly this time, I want to hear it this time."

"Is brea liom tu," He lovingly pronounced, saying each part of each word as slow as possible but the way he said it was in that smooth tone of voice that made Sofia all tingly. She still wasn't exactly sure what to call that tone so she referred to it in her head as liquid butter. That's how it made her feel and that's how it sounded. She shivered again making a strange excitable noise.

"Do you like hearing that, darling?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It's like nothing I've ever heard. Sounds like a spell almost. Could you...say it once more?"

He chuckled a little then went straight to her ear, pressing his mouth against it and whispered in that same tone of voice, "Is brea liom tu, Sofia." Even the way he said her name now sounded different and the way he spoke to her made her hairs stick up in the most pleasant way.

"What do you call your accent? That's what I like the most about it, that you still have your own accent even when talking another language."

"My accent? Ah, right sometimes I forget I have one. I'm so used to hearing my own voice. Yes, it's called cockney. You really do love it, don't you my little nymph?"

She blushed vibrantly and nodded her head while biting her lip. Cedric felt his heart soar for her. He knew his accent was directly linked with poor people and yet she adored it so, even compared to others that had it. Just as she loved his accent and voice he loved her voice, so very much. It was so sweet and lilting and when she sang it almost always made him sigh happily. It was angelic in every sense of the word. She had always had a beautiful singing voice even as a girl but now that she had grown and it had matured she sounded twice as beautiful. She was twice as beautiful with each coming year. As he removed her clothes entirely and stood there gaping at her he could view that beauty. She was outstanding. A true marvel and he was fortunate enough to be able to touch something so perfect and pure. Once he stroked along her skin she uttered out a sound that made the heat in his body spike and she whimpered out the name that drove him crazy; Lord Cedric.

That was always his undoing and she knew that good and well by this point. Although they had done this many many times that didn't mean it wasn't special. It was more special than almost every other time because now she was his wife. He held her ringed hand in his own as he loved on her, the only other piece of jewelry on her besides her amulet which even now she never took off for anything. He didn't care at all if she kept it on, it no longer held even the remotest of his interest. Only the wearer, only his princess. That's all that mattered to him, perhaps truly that's all that ever mattered. Tonight was their night, the night where the two had become one, a union sanctioned by magic and started by magic and so it only made sense that this night would be magical. Nothing in the world could compare to their love for to Cedric and to Sofia it was the most magical thing in the entire world.


	30. Chapter 30

Sofia was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, a hearty breakfast for two. She had woken up earlier than her husband or so she thought as he crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He smothered her cheek and neck with numerous furious kisses causing Sofia to giggle. He rubbed his nose into her hair and kissed it lightly.

"Good morning Mrs. Wrenne," He greeted, not taking his arms from around her even as she was still cooking. "What are you making? It smells delicious."

"Good morning Mr. Wrenne," She replied back, flipping the pancakes perfectly before dispersing them onto a plate. "I'm making blueberry flapjacks, granola with raisins, sausage, scrambled eggs, and some honey walnut butter biscuits. Oh and your favorite, a nice big pot of black tea, no sugar no cream."

"Mmm. You know at this rate I won't have to hear my parents complain that I'm too skinny. I'm going to come back from this at least ten pounds heavier," he stated, plucking a blueberry off of one of the pancakes and popping it into his mouth. "Did you pick those yourself? They taste fresh."

"Yes I did. There are a lot of berry bushes around here."

"You got up very early then. You don't have to do all that for me, you know. I could have just conjured up some food for us."

"I know but I like to cook, I don't get to do it a lot at the castle. I used to cook for my mom sometimes at the shoe shop," She explained, trying to get him to release his tight grip on her so she could place the plates down. Reluctantly he did and she was able to serve up the food at the table. Cedric pulled out her chair for her and she sat down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie," He said back, planting a smooch on her cheek then sitting down. "This looks fantastic. You've outdone yourself."

Sofia beamed with rosy cheeks, feeling like she achieved something great. As he took the first bite and let out a noise of enjoyment she smiled even bigger. It made her happy that he liked her cooking. She reached for the salt and shook it on her eggs slightly. "So," She began, "today's the day we head back."

"Ugh why did you remind me?" He groaned in dismay, not looking at all pleased with the assessment.

For Cedric every day here with her in the peace and quiet had been nothing short of bliss. There were no interruptions, no missions for her to do, no tasks to complete, no enemies to face, no potions to brew up, just the two of them in love. He was able to lazily lounge about all day and night with her cuddled with him, kissing endlessly, hugging all the time, snuggling and nuzzling consistently, and of course, given their vast alone time and their mark as newly weds there were a lot of other things they did often. Very often if Cedric could manage it. At least twice a day. It had been heaven, the two would at most go outside and enjoy a leisurely stroll in the forest, watching the clouds go by, sitting there and looking at the deer bounding in the fields with their adorable fawns, one even came up to Sofia and she pet it. They would collect fruits and vegetables for their meals sometimes, and chase each other playfully until nightfall.

Every day was like being in a wonderland for him and for her too. Nary a moment went by where he wasn't grinning and full of light. Now it was the last day of their honeymoon and they had to go back whether they liked it or not. In Cedric's case he really didn't like it. Everything would go back to normal and the two would be busy and have eyes on them often, paradise would end. It's not as if he didn't miss the people back home enough but he liked this. Still he knew she wanted to go home at some point, she had her family and her duties and she wouldn't abandon them. He understood that well enough so he sucked it up and enjoyed what time he would have with her now. After breakfast he knew there were precious moments left until the carriage came back.

He decided then to spend it in the comfort of her arms, just talking with her, brushing his fingers through her hair. Just this alone, this was all he needed. The two stayed like that only departing from each other briefly to pack and get dressed then they went right back to the other. It felt like it took only seconds for the coach to arrive but it had been hours. Time does pass faster when you are having fun. With a heavy sigh he lifted up their luggage and walked back to the carriage, closing the front door and running his hand along it. He would forever cherish the memories he made inside those walls. The couple got a warm welcome once they came back, her sister near immediately wanting to pull her aside and hear all about it. Cedric knew Sofia wouldn't go into vast detail, some things were just too private to tell anyone.

He allowed her to leave, he couldn't keep her sewn to his hip all the time even if that's truly what he wanted. Once he arrived in his tower he was greeted by an overzealous Minerva who seemed to have missed him a lot. He pet her lovingly as he unpacked his stuff. Minerva wouldn't inquire about his time even if he could understand her, it was none of her business anyhow. He looked well rested to her and had less bags under his eyes. Once he was all done unpacking he knew there was work to be done, the castle had gone a full ten days without his services and hers as well. There wasn't much to do but do it. At least he knew that whatever the other did they would always do it together and never be too far apart.

It was true what he had assumed, more often now Sofia took Cedric with her on her protector missions until one day he was made into a protector too, an honorary one. They could certainly use someone as powerful as him on their side. That wasn't all Sofia took Cedric to her secret library as well. He was mystified by it all, the entire thing to him was a vast treasure trove. Then Sofia explained everything to him as she pulled down a book with his image imprinted on the front of it. She told him how he was tied to the library and to the land by his ancestry and how Sofia was supposed to be his from the very beginning. He was floored to say the least. He had always assumed that something brought them together but he didn't know how true that was. He also didn't know his blood line could be traced back to the original wizards who built this place.

He was able to meet him, his ancestor, and they had a lot of talking to do with each other. Cedric now had to add more history to his family tree. Even his parents didn't know this much but were pleased to hear that their son was a direct descendant of some of the strongest magic that had existed in the land. It truly was meant to be, him and Sofia, before they were even born it was already being written. He didn't care if fate said they had to be together, nothing could tell him how to feel. He fell in love with her on his own and she with him. That love that they shared grew and grew and they weren't the only ones. Over the next couple months a lot of couples were getting to be wed or proposed to of which included Vivian and Desmond. Then months turned into years and even more big news happened. Birthdays and holidays of course passed but more important than that was Sofia was an aunt now, just like Tilly.

Her sister's announcement of being with child made Roland outright fall right onto the ground, after spitting out his drink. Amber was nineteen at the time of this and even though her father was rather perturbed by it she was anything but. She was as giddy as a schoolgirl on Wassalia break. This was, of course, all she had ever wanted in life and it was a good thing almost all her life all she thought about was marriage and children. She already had oodles of baby names but that didn't mean she didn't come up with more. Each one she ran by her royal advisor and the rest of her household. Roland wasn't sure exactly how to feel being a grandfather already so early in his life but Miranda didn't seem to mind as much. She loved children and the same went with her daughter. They were both anxiously awaiting the day they would get to meet the new royal.

During this entire time she wasn't sure if she was going to have a boy or a girl so she wasn't sure how to decorate the room meant for the infant. Should she do all pink and girly girly or maybe green like her and James's favorite color? Should she make it sporty? She wasn't sure but as usual of Sofia she gave Amber an idea, to go with a theme that was neutral to both a boy or a girl. So Amber did, she wanted it to be themed after pirates and mermaids, that way there would be both girlish stuff and boyish stuff inside. The servants had painted the room mostly sky blue with golden sands on the bottom and waves crashing along the shores of the islands. Palm trees swayed in the wind heavy with coconuts and big X's marked where the buried goodies lie. Amber had them paint all the mermaids she had ever met and then some and James helped with the pirates. He too was excited about the baby.

Unlike Amber he hadn't taken to family life, he and Zooey were not even dating any more. She was too much of a free bird to be tied down, even more so than Sofia, but they stayed good friends. James wasn't too heartbroken about it, it's not like he didn't care for her at all, he really did, but he knew when to let something go. He knew somewhere deep within himself that perhaps he just wasn't ready to shove into these kinds of things yet, there was so much to do and explore in the world for her and he wouldn't stop that. If it came down to it when they were older and they still wanted each other, he'd consider it then. For now he and she wanted to enjoy their freedom. James stayed on as a knight and that suited him just fine, defending helpless people, rescuing damsels, all that kind of stuff. He made a great knight, one of the very best out there. Amber was more than glad to have someone so protective as an uncle to her child.

Amber's pregnancy had been painful and aggravating, she yelled at a lot of people and ate more than she used to but once it was time for the little ones to be born suddenly all else didn't matter but that. Axel had been there for her to witness the birth of the new generation, his future heir. Only everyone was surprised to see it wasn't one heir, but two. Just like her mother, she too had twins and just exactly like her and James too. One girl and one boy. Naming the boy was a piece of cake, to honor her father's lineage she named him Roland the third which made her father even more weepy than he already was. Her daughter however, needed a special name because even though Amber would like to have a son she wanted a daughter to dress up and play with, someone she could really spoil with a thousand dresses and teach her the ways of being a true lady. She was stuck between three different names just like she had been stuck between three different wedding dresses but this time she wouldn't smush all the names together. When thinking about it just a bit longer she knew what to name her baby girl. Thus Prince Roland the third and Princess Pearl the first were born.

They all had to call Prince Roland by a nickname as not to confuse him with his grandfather. Usually they would call him Ro, which is what James had started calling him and the baby seemed to respond to it well enough. It was also part of his favorite nursery rhyme and one they all sang to the new baby, that and the twin song. They were well loved by their mother and father, absolutely spoiled with all the luxuries money could afford. Every day it seemed they had a different outfit. Amber made a good mother despite the fact that she gave them literally everything. She was always seen with her little darlings, taking them outside to play and making sure she and she alone took care of them. She wasn't going to dump them on some nurse or maid, she would do it even if she was confused.

Miranda was all too happy to help show her the ways of motherhood. She taught her how to change a diaper, how to warm a bottle, how to burp the child, and how to lay them down to sleep. All her tips and pointers helped as well as having auntie Sofia always there to make them laugh and smile. Aunt Tilly was now a great aunt and couldn't be more ecstatic about the new family members. She never did have any children of her own, like Zooey she just wasn't ready for that and maybe she would never be but with two nieces and a nephew and now the new babies she really didn't need to have kids. They all played with baby Callix on playdates but also there were other babies to play with too. Hildegard had already had a child herself before Amber, just another thing she did before Amber could do it and she was wondering if she really was trying to beat her at everything. Her child was named Abelard, her son, a name which rhymed with her own on purpose no doubt. She promised Zandar their next child could be named something based off his own country.

It seemed he wouldn't have to wait long for that as they were already planning on baby number two, after all she had to compete with the fact that Amber had two children already. It would be Zara if it was a girl and Ranbir if it was a boy. Clio only just now was taking things up a notch with Khalid with talks of maybe marriage in the future but nothing more. The two were too focused on their theater work to have all that happen just yet but all knew it would be soon enough. Hugo had eventually married his ice skating partner, they had been secretly dating this entire time and nobody knew it. He wanted to keep things hush hush. He wasn't the kind of man to have his whole life out in the open for everyone to mock or judge. Once everyone found out though they were all happy for him.

It was a big event once the new twins turned one year old. Even though they were scarcely toddlers at this point Amber didn't care she threw them the biggest party ever because for her babies nothing was denied. Everyone with kids was invited which included Ruby and Jade. The two had married their prospective loves and had children a little after Amber. Ruby had a son named Jaden, Jade had a daughter named Rubella. They named their children after each other in a way and Sofia thought it was just plain cute. The big birthday for the babies was just a big playdate where the mothers could all socialize and let their children run around and have fun. Callista was invited along with Callix though the children here were all too young for her to play with so she stuck to Sofia like glue, even though Sofia was no longer a child.

"Oh Pearl is absolutely your daughter, no doubt," Hildegard claimed with a smirk, "her favorite gift thus far is the tiara I got her. I just knew it would be the perfect gift."

"Yes that's my child. Just like her mommy, she loves shiny things, don't you precious?" Amber cooed, picking up the blonde baby girl who made noises of happiness while holding onto the shimmering blue ice diamond tiara. "That's right! Can you say, tiara?"

Pearl just gurgled intelligibly, obviously more interested in her glittery new toy than anything else at the moment. "Can you say momma? Say momma."

"I don't think she's at talking age yet, dearie," Cordelia supposed, "My Callista didn't start talking until she was almost three. Her first word was strawberry."

"That's a big word for a kid to say," Sofia assumed, holding Callista in her lap who at this point was twelve at least, a little too big for lap holding but didn't mind. "Mine was birdie."

"Of course it was," Amber laughingly remarked. "Can you say bird, Pearl? Say bird."

"Buh!" She sputtered out trying to nibble at the tiara. Amber took it out of her mouth much to her daughter's upset.

"No no, it goes on your head not in your mouth silly. See look at mommy's," She pointed out, directing her daughter's attention to on her head. Baby Pearl looked at it and started to reach for it with grabby hands. At first Amber was not allowing her to do so but then gave up and let her daughter play with the priceless object. "Oh yes I can tell now you'll just love the jewel room when you're older."

"I hope all our kids stay best friends," Jade hoped, scooting along a little wooden train with the children and making train noises. "Just like we did Sofia."

"That would be wonderful, they could all play together. I think it's pretty neat that even though we all come from different backgrounds and ended up going to different schools we stayed friends no matter what."

"Speaking of," Amber started up, now holding both of her kids and snuggling them both. "When are we to be expecting you to have your own little ones?"

"Oh!" Sofia remarked in surprise with a reddening face. "I uh...well...I'm not sure yet...it's a lot to think about you know. I have a lot of responsibility and I'd have to give that up for a long time if I'm to have children at all. Don't get me wrong I want some but they are something I want to devote myself to. There won't be any time for protecting. I can't just leave them with Cedric for all hours of the day that's just unfair."

"But you are planning aren't you? My mummy won't stop pestering me and I assume Cedric too about it. When when when it's all she cares about these days," Cordelia complained with a huff. "She's waited eons for Cedric to find his one and now that he has she wants grandkids stat."

"You can tell her we are planning but not sure when. Maybe by next year? I think. I'd like them to be born in the spring, so you can guess around there."

"I'm going to be rather blunt and honest here, I'm shocked you haven't already been with child yet," Cordelia boldly uttered.

"Yes me too, with the way he always has his hands on you," Amber added in with a light blush on her cheeks.

Sofia laughed nervously and blushed even redder than before. "He's just...well...um...oh...oh dear..."

"Come on guys we're making her feel funny," Ruby smartly assessed. "We shouldn't pry. I think it's just simply he's a magician...he knows a lot of things."

"That's true," Cordelia affirmed with a head nod.

Sofia felt hot at the moment and the whole time had her hands pressed up against Callista's ears. This conversation was not to be heard by children. Thankfully it all died down and they could concentrate on just having a good time. Pearl and Ro were showered with gifts from everyone and now they had even more things to play with and wear than before. Amber appreciated what Ruby and Jade had made for her, even if it was simple, it was the thought that counted. They had so little to give just being there was enough for her. Late at night Amber put her babies to sleep with the help of Sofia who tucked in Pearl into her seashell shaped crib then kissed her head. She watched Amber rock her son with stars in her eyes and love in her voice and felt warm all over but she also felt something else. A longing inside.

What they had all talked about today was something she had truly been considering and wanting. She touched her stomach and imagined what it might feel like to have a small life inside of her, kicking around and sleeping soundly listening to her voice. This longing inside of her intensified as Ro was put to bed and the covers put over his tiny body that Amber was rubbing. She sung to him his favorite lullaby in the sweetest voice and Sofia could see a small smile form on his face as he drifted off into slumberland. Amber thanked Sofia for her help tonight then said her good nights to her sister with a hug. Sofia thought about it more now, everyone seemed to want her to have kids, especially Winifred who had been bothering Cedric his whole life about it and now it seemed closer than ever. Yet she still was denied any. Sofia would not do it for her, for her sister, for anyone else, she would only have children when she wanted to, for herself, for them.

She walked up the long spiral staircase and opened the door with her key seeing Cedric there already in his night attire ready for bed. He smiled at her as she walked in and opened his arms for her to come into them. Sofia closed the door and walked towards him, holding him to her and sighing with joy at just being near him. Sofia magically then transformed into her sleeping clothes and the two went hand in hand upstairs to his bedroom but when they got there Sofia did not get ready for bed, she sat on his bed. He had been with her and married to her long enough to read her expressions and right now she looked troubled. He sat right next to her and placed his hand on her leg, stroking it up and down.

"Something wrong, my dear?"

"Cedric...I think I...you see its...I want...I'd like to..."

"Yes...?" He leaned closer in with a curious face, wondering what it is his beloved could want that would alleviate her seemingly sad face. He'd give her anything in the world just to see that smile.

"I want to have a baby."

He hadn't been expecting her to say that and stood there frozen stiff, eyes wide and mouth tightly closed. He felt dizzy and hot, a bit delirious but also full of this unusual elation. She waited there for him to respond to her statement, chewing on her lip with anxiety. He was staying still and it was making her more upset. As soon as she looked that way he stopped and started blinking rapidly, snapped out of it simply by her distraught whine. His heart was like an alarm ringing in his chest making it vibrate hard with each beat.

"A...b-b-baby? Really...? You mean it...?"

"Yes I really really mean it. Of course if you don't want one just yet I will wait. It's a joint decision."

"Not want one? Sofia you must be mistaken. I do want one, more than one actually. I want to have several kids with you I just was waiting for you to tell me when. Are you sure, though, that you want to start trying now?"

"I've never been surer. Please, Cedric, please can we try?"

"Sofia you don't even need to ask me, love. I'm yours. Why the sudden desire though? Just curious."

"I don't know it was seeing everyone with their kids and I just realized something was missing in my life, something I had been wanting for a long time but had been putting off. I didn't realize how much I actually wanted one until I saw Amber today with hers. I know it will be a lot to handle and I know I have to quit being a protector if only for a few years but it is worth it to me. Do you think you're ready...?"

"I'm more than ready if you are, dearest. I just hope that I can be a good father to our future children."

"You'll be the best father. How many do you want to have?"

"A million."

"Cedric!"

"Alright a million and one," He teased with a wink. She shook her head at him and then leaned forward and kissed him.

He laid her down sweetly upon his bed, turning down the lights as he went along. He wasn't sure if it was going to be tonight or another night but it didn't matter when. All that mattered was they would be a family, created with nothing but love. They had tried many a time and each time came up with nothing. It had begun to wear down on Sofia and on him too. He started thinking something was wrong with him that he couldn't do something that was natural to a man to do which is create children. He hated hearing her in the dead of night when she thought he was asleep sighing sadly to herself. It was breaking him. He swore not to use any sort of magical enhancements, no potions, no spells, nothing of the sort. It wouldn't feel right to either of them to know that their child had been born into this world unnaturally.

The desire to use those means was becoming tempting to Cedric though. He knew of fertility spells and things such as that but even though he wanted to use them all he couldn't. He had promised and he did not want to break that promise. Trial and error after trial and error and each time leaving Sofia with a lingering in her. She wondered if she should just give up, if it wasn't meant to be but no. She wouldn't give up or give in. She was not the type. It would happen on its own schedule on its own time, she couldn't rush it and she couldn't make it happen just like that. She also couldn't get distressed that it had taken all her friends so little time to have theirs when it was taking such a long time to have hers. She vented a little to her family and tried to vent to her animals but they didn't have much to tell her other then let it wait, let nature take its course.

Just as Baileywick had told her so long ago, everything blooms in its own time. The waiting had paid off at last. It had taken a solid month of trying but on the first day of the next month Sofia ran as fast as her legs could carry her to Cedric's tower and burst right in. She shocked him some and caused him to nearly break something but he caught it in the nick of time. She couldn't contain herself, she threw herself at him with her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion as she could give him. It was a welcomed surprise for him that was for sure. He touched her face and then pulled back when he noticed her cheek was wet with tears.

"What's wrong...? I don't understand you kissed me and now you're crying."

"Happy tears, Cedric! I'm overjoyed! We did it, we actually did it! I'm pregnant!"

"...Wh-wha...what? Pr-p-p-pregnant...?"

She shook her head up and down quickly with a big beam on her face, all teeth.

"I think...I might faint...please hold me steady."

Sofia did as he told her and tried to stop him from falling right onto the hard wood floor. She took him to the sofa to sit down and grabbed him a cool glass of water. He drank it down in one gulp then ran his fingers through his hair. He let out a little laugh then he too started crying with pure rapture.

"S...Seriously? You really are?"

"One hundred percent positive."

"Oh thank Merlin! I had begun to fear for a moment that I was...inadequate in some way."

"No you're fine it just needed to take time. I'm so happy I could just scream!"

"I...I'm still processing all of this...I'm...going to be a father...Zeus's xylophones I really am! Oh Sofia I'm over the moon right now! I should think I shall scream too!"

They held their hands together and stared into each other's eyes with grins on their faces. He released her hand for a moment to touch her stomach even though there was more than likely nothing to even feel there he rubbed there anyways. A father, he was really going to be a father. He just couldn't believe it. All his life he never thought he'd have the opportunity to be one, that his lineage would only continue though his sister and he would remain a failure to his parents. No woman could ever want him, he felt this was certain. Now he had the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid his eyes on as his wife and expecting a child. He wondered what it would be and which one he preferred. He supposed the old male pride made him want to have a son, someone to take up under his wing and teach his ways. Someone to carry on all of his life's work, become the future royal sorcerer to the next line of kings and queens. He thought a son was what he wanted the most so he could treat him the very best possible way.

He would erase all the mistakes of his own life and right the wrongs with his own son. His son would be the literal opposite of him in every way, he'd have a happy childhood with more than one loving parent who would dote on him, support him, teach him, strive for him, learn with him, hold him when he was down, lift him up and up whenever he failed, and never make him feel lonesome. If he didn't have a son he supposed that was fine too, a daughter might be nice. She might even look a little like Callista. Either one would be fine actually he was so elated he didn't care at the moment which it was going to be he just wanted them to come on out already so he could meet them. In the months that followed Sofia made sure to let her protectors know about her current situation and they all were very understanding. They would miss her but this was her decision and they would honor it. Whenever she was ready to return she would always be welcomed back.

The realm wasn't going to be unprotected at all, they all made sure of that so that Sofia wouldn't be worrying about it the whole time. She already had enough to worry about as is. After that she had to make sure she notified the library somehow of her absence. In this case she knew no other could take her place as library story keeper but she had no choice in the matter. The librarian there understood her predicament. For now the stories had to be put on hold, they had waited longer than this to be completed. As time passed her stomach grew and grew, full of new life and everyone it seemed wanted to touch her stomach and listen in and talk to the baby inside. Amber couldn't wait for her children to have a cousin or two to play with now. James just couldn't wait to see if eventually her child would be able to do magic too. Sofia hadn't really thought about what their child would be considered.

Would it be a half wizard then? Would that be allowed into Hexley Hall or would it have to go to the Magic Academy? That's if it wanted to even do magic at all. He or she were free to stray away from what their parents did even if Cedric seemed to enjoy the idea of a little magician around the house. He explained to her that Hexley Hall would accept their child on principal alone, meaning because it was hers and his they were guaranteed access. Nobody would deny the child of Sofia the hero of all the land and Cedric the Sensational, who was chummy with Merlin. Callista would also be considered a cousin to their future child or children, just like Pearl and Ro would be. Winifred was enthralled to say the least that at long last her Ceddy Kins was having a grandchild for her to smother with love and gifts. Although he maybe wasn't the best at showing it, Goodwin was exceedingly joyous to have his son be a father. He knew without a doubt he'd be a great one.

Months rolled by until it was time for Sofia to give birth. It was a painful and long process but she handled it well as she does all things in her life. It helped too that Cedric was there by her side, actually everyone was there waiting for her but Cedric was the only one literally by her side. She pushed as hard as she possibly could and then it happened, the sound of a baby crying filled the air. After hours of being in labor the child was born into the world. The nurses cleaned her and the child up then as soon as it had been tended to Sofia was given her child. As Cedric had wanted it was a boy. It had black hair just like him and blue eyes just like hers with a small button nose and the slightest upturn on it. Once the air was cleared everyone was allowed to come inside and see the baby. They all gushed over it but none more than Winifred who wanted to steal it away almost immediately but waited her turn to hold it.

"Oh he looks just like you did when you were a baby Ceddy kins, only he has Sofia's curls. He's going to be a handsome one he is, just like his father and his grandfather. What are you going to name him, dear?"

"Well we thought about it for a long time on what to name our kids and we had a lot of options out there," Sofia clarified, holding her new baby close to her chest as gently and as softly as possible. Over and over again Cedric let out a contented sigh and stroked over his cheeks. It was still hard to believe and come to grips with but he had a child now. A wife and a child. Sometimes he would wake up and think it would all disappear but no. He was just that lucky to have someone as wonderful as her give him such a wonderful son. "We of course thought of C names, to keep the tradition going but we decided perhaps there were already enough C's in the family. So we finally settled on one name that started with a B, Brendon. It roughly means the raven prince. We thought it suited a son of someone like Cedric."

"Brendon Balthazar Wrenne. It sounds almost regal, doesn't it?" Cedric assumed with pride. Sofia still kept all her last names but called herself Sofia Wrenne to make it easy on everyone, however she wanted to honor her departed father. The Winslow name would carry on in Amber who was the rightful queen and maybe just maybe one day it would carry on in James but Sofia was different, she was always different. She broke tradition time and time again. She wanted her children to be distanced from royalty even if they were a little of it. They should be raised like normal children and not be given a million tasks to do and rules to follow. She wanted them to be like she was in the village but if they chose to act like mini royals they could do so. It was their choice.

"It's a marvelous name," Miranda exclaimed, staring lovingly at her new grandson. "I know you two will make wonderful parents."

"How could they not? After all they've went through parenting should be a slice of pie," Roland presumed with a bit of a chuckle.

Everyone that was in the room shared in his laughter including the parents. They knew though that even still after all their battles and wanderings that parenting would be its own adventure, an adventure they would go on together. It would have many ups and downs, twists and turns, unexpected things, sadness and strife, happy times and bad times, and difficulties too. Yet they went into this just like any other adventure they headed into with bravery, love, determination, and hope. They would never lose sight of any of those things and never lose sight of what was important either. Looking down at their child they knew this was opening a whole new chapter in their story, a whole new book to write, to fill in, to one day read but it might not ever be finished. The ending would always be the same no matter what and they knew that to be the truth. No matter what happened, come what may, they would always live happily ever after.

The end.


End file.
